The Next Generation
by Carly the Llama
Summary: Ten years after the defeat of Hawk Moth and death of Adrien, a villain called Mariposa has begun searching for the lost Cat Miraculous. Now a young woman, Adrien and Marinette's daughter, Emma, finds said Miraculous, becoming Kitty Noir; and works with her partners, Renegade, Paon, and King Bee, to stop her. But why does Mariposa want the Miraculous anyway?
1. Prologue

**Hey guys! Guess what? Paula the Llama back at it again! I've learned if I make promises to not mess with Carly's stories too much in a way to mess with people's characters, she doesn't care if I write my own fanfiction. Don't get me wrong, if Emilie or Lila ends up being Mayura, I will be writing a chapter for Fireheart, and Rise of Papillon will have another chapter once I finish editing, but here is this to keep you occupied. And a chapter of Fireheart should be out tonight, maybe Papillon if the WiFi is good.**

 **Prologue**

After eleven years, Ladybug and Cat Noir found Hawk Moth: Gabriel Agreste.

They were sickened; really, both had been living under the same roof as this man! They let him near their daughter, Emilie, nicknamed Emma.

"It's over, Hawk Moth." Cat Noir growled, brandishing his staff.

Hawk Moth chuckled, "I think not, Cat Noir, I have many tricks up my sleeves." He snapped his fingers and missiles appeared out of nowhere and launched at the two heroes, who twirled around them with some effort, while fighting a saber-wielding Hawk Moth.

Ladybug flung herself at him and almost got his Miraculous, when he threw her to the side, knocking her down.

"Ladybug!" Cat Noir called to his wife as Hawk Moth raised his sword above his head to end her life. And that was when he made his decision. He ran and covered Ladybug, causing the sword to pierce through his ribcage; but he was able to grab the Moth Miraculous in the process. Ladybug blinked the blur from her eyes and saw her husband with the moth in his hand, gasping for breath. Gabriel stood there, looking smug, about to remove his ring. She threw him back and cradled Cat Noir, "Kitty...why would you do that?"

"I—" he coughed up some blood, "I couldn't let our daughter be without a mother..."

"But she needs a father too! She needs you! I need you! Hang in there, we've won...it's okay... I'm so sorry...I'll get you help."

"It's okay, Bugaboo..." He exhaled, stroking Ladybug's cheek, "I love you both..." his hand fell limp and his transformation wore out as he took his final breath.

And there Ladybug was, cradling the dead body of Adrien Agreste.

Gabriel screamed, sprinting over and trying to take his son from Ladybug, only for her to tie him up with her yoyo, "Stay away from him!"

"He's my son!"

"Who you killed!" She detransformed as well, "You tried to kill me and leave Emma without a mother, just like Adrien was; and now you not only murdered your own son, but leave his daughter with no father."

"You don't understand." Gabriel begged, not bothering to stand when his restraints vanished, "I just want to use the Miraculous to bring my wife back, so our family could be complete! I never wanted this to happen." He broke down in tears, staring into Adrien's closed eyes and taking in his bloody, lifeless form, "I never wanted him hurt, much less dead."

Marinette glared at him and transformed once more, dragging her father-in-law out the window and to the police station, Adrien cradled to her chest with a cloth. She saw Officer, now Chief, Roger and threw Gabriel at him, "Here's Hawk Moth..." she gently showed him Adrien, "And here is the son he murdered alongside Cat Noir in the final fight."

Roger gasped and handcuffed Gabriel, who didn't bother to fight; it was as though someone drained him of his life force. But the knowledge you murdered your own son and nearly orphaned your granddaughter would do that to someone. Roger dragged him away and had others take Adrien for an autopsy.

Then Ladybug ran, breaking down on the roof of the building the love of her life died in: her own home. She knew she wouldn't move, Emma still loved it here, and it was the best, but that lair would become a memorial for her lost love.

She detransformed and texted Alya, Nino and Chloe.

M(Marinette): Guys... it's over. Hawk Moth has been revealed as Gabriel Agreste and we won.

A(Alya): Yay!

N(Nino): Awesome!

C(Chloe): Congratulations!

M: I wish it was a cause of celebration... he killed Adrien...

Marinette broke down when typing it, and the response was clearly the same from her fellow heroes, who she wished she had brought as backup.

N: No!

C: Adrien...

A: What about Emma?

C, N, A: I'm coming over.

M: Thank you...how do I break the news to Emma? That her grandfather killed her beloved Dad.

C: Tell her the truth. That Gabriel was Hawk Moth and her father was Cat Noir. Maybe use a _Star Wars_ reference to make it easier. But Nate and I will be over with Caitlin when you need us.

A: I'll do the same with Peter.

M: Thank you guys.

Marinette turned off her phone and held the Moth Miraculous in her hand. She wanted to return it to Master Fu, but she couldn't...she would get the ring when the autopsy was done, but for now, this had been her life for so long...she wouldn't get rid of it.

"Are you okay, Marinette?" Tikki asked, but Marinette couldn't bring herself to look at her kwami. She pulled out the box and removed her earrings, "I renounce you." Tikki gasped and flew into the earrings. Marinette wasn't going to give them up, but she couldn't bring herself to be Ladybug right now.

She walked into the house, pocketing the Miraculouses, and saw her five-year-old daughter run up to her. Emma looked so much like Adrien—with her golden blonde hair, rosy cheeks and pale green eyes—it hurt. She ran a hand through her hair, it was time to break the news.

"Where's Daddy?" Emma asked, "I can't find Grandpa anywhere? But I think I saw Ladybug."

Marinette sat her daughter down on the couch, wiping the tears from her eyes, "Emilie... something happened to your Daddy."

"What happened?" Emma asked worriedly, knowing nothing good came when her real name was used.

"Well...it turns out...Grandpa was Hawk Moth, but Daddy was Cat Noir."

"Really?!" Emma asked excitedly, thinking of fairy tales with happy ending and redemption arcs, "So Daddy convinced him to be good and we'll all live happily ever after!" She giggled in glee and imagined asking her wonderful Dad to let her meet Ladybug and bring her on a patrol and maybe be a superhero one day too!

Marinette shook her head, Emma was too pure for this world, "No. Grandpa is going to jail... and your Daddy was very badly hurt. So he's going to stay with his Mommy for a while."

Emma looked up to the painting of her father when he was about thirteen, sitting while his parents were standing, all of them smiling; it was her favorite picture of her Daddy's family. But...she thought Grandma Agreste was in heaven.

Then it hit her.

"Daddy's in heaven...isn't he?"

Marinette couldn't hold herself together anymore and held her baby girl, "Yes."

Emma wrapped her head around it and began to sob with her mother. She would never see her Daddy again, and Grandpa took him away. There was no happily ever after. She clung to her Mama tighter, fearing she would vanish too.

"I want Daddy..."

Marinette stroked her daughter's hair, "Me too, baby. Me too."

OoOoO

The funeral was a quiet service, with Adrien's friends from their graduating class only; since they were all still in touch. Though Marinette secretly grabbed Adrien's body and made sure the coffin was airtight to preserve the body like what had happened with Mrs. Agreste, and had the coffin removed of her body and placed it in the lair, directly where Adrien had lost his life. She placed his body within it and placed his hands over his stomach, having changed him into different clothing to hide his horrific wound. Emilie thought her Dad was cremated and her ashes were in a vase above the fireplace. So both women would place a bundle of bluebells—Adrien's favorite flower—next to where they thought or knew Adrien was laid to rest on the anniversary of his death.

Gabriel had been given a life sentence for the murder of his son and a superhero, and terrorizing Paris, but he died not a month later, having lost his will to live with his son dead and his granddaughter wanting nothing to do with him.

Nino, Alya and Chloe—as well as Nathanael, Sabine and Tom—were very comforting and helpful to help take care of Emilie. Alya and Nino's son, Peter, loved to hang out with Emilie, and Chloe and Nathanael's daughter, Caitlin.

But the true tragedy was that Marinette went to get the ring, but it was gone. The coroner said he remembered taking it off, but when he went to put it back on, it just wasn't there. So, the Cat Miraculous was lost.

Tikki remained dormant, because Marinette couldn't bring herself to look at the ladybug kwami after failing to save Adrien. Meaning Ladybug was retired, followed soon by Rena Rouge, Carapace and Queen Bee. She had also made sure to insist when giving Master Fu the Peacock—she lied and told him the Moth had been lost with the Cat—to never give one to Emma.

Marinette also took control of Gabriel, renaming it Miraculous, in memory of the lost heroes. People didn't turn their backs on the fashion designer family like Marinette had partially expected, because it was proven they weren't all evil because they were told Adrien stood up to Gabriel alongside Ladybug and Cat Noir, losing his life at the hands of his own father; nobody would do that is they had dark intentions.

So, these were the reasons why she was about to make the mistakes of her life in hopes of saving her beloved.

OoOoO

Today was the ten year anniversary of Hawk Moth's defeat, and Cat Noir and Adrien Agreste's tragic deaths. Everyone cheered for Gabriel's defeat and mourned the two lost; for some reason, nobody ever figured it out that they were one in the same.

But it was merely somber in the Agreste mansion.

Emma had grown into a beautiful young woman. At fifteen, she was a model like her father had been and did the same activities; wanting to be just like her brave Dad. Sadly, over the years, as Emma grew to look more and more like Adrien, Marinette began avoiding her daughter, much like Gabriel with his son; only referring to her as Emilie in favor of Emma as she preferred to be called so as not to be confused with her grandmother.

Though Emma was allowed outside the house, it was limited where she could go—either her grandparents' bakery, the Lahiffe household, school, or Le Grande Paris, aka the Bourgeois household; Chloe and Nathanael had gotten divorced and Marinette only let her daughter go to Chloe's place as Nathanael had moved to Germany.

But today, neither of them talked to anyone, not even each other really, and mourned the important man in their family.

Emma stared longingly at her favorite painting, which had been moved to her room—Adrien's old room, with some minor decor changes, but not much as Emma wanted as much of her Dad as possible. A painting of a black cat with green eyes was in its place in the living room, and the large painting of Gabriel and Adrien in the front hall had been destroyed and replaced with the picture of an adult Adrien, Marinette and four-year-old Emma.

The blonde girl placed another bundle of bluebells by the urn,

"Happy DeathDay, Dad." She said to the painting, "I know you probably can't hear me, but I want you to know I still love you and want you to come home. I know it's been ten years since Mother told me what happened, but I still hope you'll open my door and tell me it was a mistake and you're home." She broke down in tears, "I miss you."

And that was how she sat for hours, crying or eating her Dad's favorite foods—i.e. anything from the bakery—or browsing the internet for every picture of him, collecting them all and keeping them in a scrapbook much like her mother before her, back when it was an obsessed crush. She flipped through her scrapbook and added some she discovered from one of Sabine's own scrapbooks, such as a picture from her parents' wedding day.

She let herself wallow in her own misery for a bit, when she heard a scream outside.

Meanwhile

Marinette cried beside the coffin her dear Adrien rested in. Ten years, and she still couldn't move on. She had tried seven years prior, with Luka Couffaine, resulting in their son, Hugo—who switched between parents' houses every two weeks—but it hadn't worked out as her heart still yearned for Adrien.

She couldn't live like this anymore. Her daughter was so painful to look at it made her want to scream; she loved Emilie, but it was so hard. She dully wondered if this was how Gabriel felt when he had lost his wife, willing to do anything to get her back.

Then she got an idea. She had reached the point of her despair where she didn't really care about much other than having her precious husband back; she still cared about her friends, but she needed him back. She left the lair and grabbed the Moth Miraculous from where it rested behind a painting, now of Adrien—the painting of Mrs. Agreste was moved to the storage unit—in the same safe where the Ladybug earrings remained. She had the Ladybug, now she only needed to find the Cat. And who cared who the balance would sacrifice? Finally, Adrien would be with her once more and they could be happy again!

Marinette looked at herself in the mirror, reminiscing for her teenage days. She hadn't changed too much, as she didn't really have wrinkles, but she was only thirty-five, so that may change; her hair was no longer kept in pigtails, instead her waist-length hair was either down her back, in a braided ponytail, or in a messy high bun; her figure hadn't really changed either, though it had grown into an adult version; her clothing consisted of a light pink pantsuit, the color of cherry blossoms, with black high heels.

She walked back to the lair and pinned the brooch, which now looked like a mere gemstone, to the side of her suit and Nooroo appeared.

"Hello Marinette." Nooroo greeted, "What is it?"

"I need to bring the Cat Miraculous out of hiding. And the only way to do it is to create supervillains."

"But Marinette," he protested, "Adrien _died_ fighting supervillains, don't you think this would make his death in vain?"

"No." Marinette replied simply, "Because he won't be dead. And I will not hurt this Cat Noir or any other wielder. All I need is the Miraculous. What do I do to activate this to create villains?"

"It's pointless arguing with you." Nooroo said despairingly, "It's: dark wings rise."

Marinette nodded her thanks, "Nooroo, dark wings rise!" She felt the transformation cover her body and she looked at herself in the reflection of Adrien's coffin. She looked like Hawk Moth used to, but it was a dress suit and tight black leggings, wings made of fabric rested upon her back; her mask was a silver butterfly mask, instead of covering her whole head; and her hair was in a braided ponytail over her shoulder.

She grinned, "From now on, I shall be Mariposa!"

Mariposa looked to the rest of the room and saw the white butterflies around. She cupped one in her hand and waited for her first prey.

Oddly enough, she didn't have to wait long. It turned out Lila's son, Miguel, was awful and would usually be given what he wanted; basically, a nasty Chloe. He had just beaten down Jagged Stone and Penny Rolling's daughter, Belle, for not doing rock and roll as her parents, she wanted to do orchestra.

Mariposa cupped the akuma in her hands, "Fly away, little akuma, and evilize this girl!" The akuma reached an orchestra baton, "Orchestra, I am Mariposa. I'm giving you the opportunity to show your true talent, but in return, you must bring me the Cat Miraculous, the ring previously wielded by Cat Noir. Do we have a deal?"

"We have a deal, Mariposa!" Belle transformed into Orchestra and Mariposa turned to Adrien's coffin, stroking the glass,

"I will save you, my love." She said, "Nothing will keep us apart."

 **A/N: And there we go. Prologue. And I am in desperate need of akumas ideas, so spit them at me in reviews, and fire as many OCs at me as you want. Ghost83 recommended one for Carly to use in Fireheart, but I might steal it, while still giving the credit to said Ghost83, who Carly says has great ideas.**

 **And I have realized the appeal of reviews! So please do so.**


	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

For two days now, Orchestra had been attacking Paris; armed with magical instruments which had the power to tear down buildings and blow people away.

Emma, Caitlin and Peter tried to help people to the best of their abilities, but with Marinette being so strict and Alya, Nino and Chloe being so protective, it was hard.

OoOoO

Emma was on her way to her grandparents' bakery when she saw Orchestra coming. She started to run inside, when she saw a short old man in a red Hawaiian shirt walking slowly with his cane. She looked to the door and back at the old man, she wanted to help him, and she knew that was what her Dad would do, so she ran towards him, threw him onto her back and ran into the bakery before Orchestra could notice them,

"Are you alright, sir?" Emma asked worriedly.

"I'm alright, Emilie." The old man said, "Thanks to you."

Emma gasped, "How do you know my name?"

"You're Adrien and Marinette Agreste's daughter. Are you not?"

Emma nodded, "Yes. Wait, you knew my Dad?" It didn't come as much of a shock this man knew her mother, as like Gabriel Agreste before her, she was a fashion queen and known throughout Paris, but she would go out and meet people, and she had been pretty popular in her teenage years; but her father...everyone had _heard_ of him, but very few had actually _known_ him.

"Yes." The old man replied, "I knew him very well. And you, dear girl, are much like him." Then, as Emma blinked, he was gone,

"Hey! Wait!" She called, desperate to know more. She knew it was weird, but she had a habit of latching onto anyone who knew her Dad. But he was nowhere to be found.

"Damnit." She cursed, wondering where he had gone to. Then she heard her phone buzzing and saw it was Natalie, her mother's assistant, "Hey Natalie."

" _Emma, where are you?"_

"Grandma and Grandpa's bakery. Why?"

" _Don't you remember? You have a photoshoot, then dinner with your mother. Gorilla's waiting for you back at the mansion."_

Emma beamed, it was so rare her mother took time out of her schedule to spend time with her, though she would see her in the rare moments it was convenient. It was the singular perk of the week of her Dad's death, her mother would spend a little bit more time with her, in memory of her husband. It was so wonderful, because she was also allowed to ask about her Dad; she had asked Natalie and Gorilla for stories, and would be granted them, but her mother had a way of making it feel like Emma was really there, seeing her Dad in his teenage years for herself. This was how she learned her mother used to be Ladybug, but retired upon her partner's death. Her favorite story was Style Queen, when her Dad was turned to a gold statue and placed upon an alter as though sleeping, and her mother needed to fight an evil Villain and destroy the Eiffel Tower to save him with the help of Plagg; it was so romantic, the only the only thing that would have made it better was if she had to kiss him to break the spell, like Sleeping Beauty.

She was brought from her musings when she made it back to the mansion, where Gorilla was waiting for her. Akumas were still feared, but after the batch twice a week for ten years while Hawk Moth was the villain, there wasn't as much to worry about as people had an idea of what to do, but things were still indoors while people waited for the heroes to come; but they knew this would be a new batch, so they simply needed to wait.

She sat in the car, "Hey Gorilla! Ready to go."

Gorilla smiled sadly at the nickname her father had given him all those years ago, and drove to the studio, "So how were your grandparents?" He had started talking about a month after Adrien's death; he didn't like talking, but Marinette and Emma needed as much support as they could; it was one thing to lose Mrs. Agreste under mysterious circumstances, but it was another for Marinette to have her husband die in her arms at the hands of her father-in-law, leaving their daughter without a father from a young age. He hadn't been supportive enough for Adrien, he needed to be for his daughter. And Emma was so much like Adrien, and she loved to hear it; it warmed Gorilla's heart to see the blonde girl still loving everything about her father even after years of not seeing him. She was so pure.

They drove in comfortable silence until they reached the studio,

"Bye Gorilla!" Emma called, "See you in a couple hours!" She ran inside eagerly.

Gorilla waved, "Bye Emma."

OoOoO

Peter was walking back home, wondering when the new heroes would come; maybe Ladybug would return. Orchestra didn't seem to be letting go anytime soon, but she hadn't caused too much damage, she just seemed to want to show off more than anything.

He continued walking until he saw an old man trying and failing to get onto a bus. He walked over to the man and led him up, setting him in a seat inside the bus.

The old man turned to him, "Thank you, young man." He was gone as the bus drove away. Peter blinked, and continued walking home.

OoOoO

Caitlin was knitting in her large bedroom to pass the time. School had been cancelled until the akuma was dealt with, so she didn't have much to do other than help her mother and grandfather run the hotel, so she decided to knit with some television in the background.

She looked out the window and saw an old man outside with a sign which she assumed meant he was homeless. She looked to her scarf and the food Butler Jean had brought up, and put them into a basket, bringing them down,

"Here, sir." Caitlin said, handing him the basket.

He looked to her gratefully, taking the basket, "Thank you." It began to rain, and Caitlin handed him her umbrella as well, "Take care." She started to walk inside when she got an idea, "Do you want to stay? I have plenty of room."

"No thank you, Miss Bourgeois." The man said, "You have shown me more than you could know."

Caitlin blinked in confusion, but shrugged and walked inside, waving him goodbye.

OoOoO

Emma ate her food at the restaurant in silence, knowing she needed to wait for her mother to speak if she wanted to learn anything.

Marinette took a long sip of wine, before looking to Emma, "You look nice."

Emma blushed and looked down at herself, she was wearing the black dress her mother had designed as her first when running the company, with the green paw-print on the chest and silver details at the wrists; it was themed in memory of Cat Noir. It was her formalwear for most events; her normal outfit consisted of a green tank top underneath a black, baggy sweater with, again, Cat Noir's signature paw-print; dark blue jeans, and black sneakers with white laces.

She looked up to her mother, who was also wearing a black dress, only it was purely in mourning. "You look lovely too, mother."

Marinette smiled to her and took another sip of wine, "It's that time of year again and I'm a woman of my word. What do you want to hear about your father?"

"Can you tell me about your first kiss?"

Marinette put a finger under her chin as though thinking, "Your father didn't even know about our real first kiss for nearly a year. Do you want the one we were both aware of, or the actual first?"

"The actual first, please."

Marinette rolled her eyes, and Emma could tell she wasn't in the restaurant anymore, she was there, with him.

"It was Valentines' day. I was finally going to confess my feelings for Adrien, I put the letter in the mailbox, but then panicked and desperately tried to get it out." Emma giggled at her mother's teenage antics, listening intently, "While this was happening, one of my classmates, Kim, got akumatized because this was back when Chloe was a horrible monster and rejected him cruelly. He became Dark Cupid, a Villain whose arrows could make their victim hate everyone they love. He hit Alya, and that was when I knew there was a problem; so, I transformed. I ran after him, but fell off a roof, only to be saved by your father as Cat Noir. Apparently, he had also been planning to confess his feelings for me as Ladybug as well, but before he could do it, he spun around and shielded me from Dark Cupid's arrow, which hit him in the back." Emma gasped; it genuinely seemed this was how it worked: Mother would end up in trouble, Dad would sacrifice himself for her, and she'd have to save him; this one seemed no different.

Marinette seemed to understand her thought process and chuckled, "Yeah, that self-sacrificing idiot..." she trailed off as her mood darkened, remembering that was precisely how Adrien died later in life, then she perked again and continued her story, while Emma munched on some spaghetti.

"Well, as you can guess, your father ended up tag-teaming it with Dark Cupid to get my Miraculous. And I'll have you know he can pull of that black lipstick surprisingly well; then again, it's your father I'm talking about, he could pull of just about anything." She chuckled sadly, "Anyway, I then remembered out lesson in class that day about fairy tales and how the prince kisses the princess to break the spell—and if I was honest with myself, he was quite a bit like a Disney princess—so I went up to him with the intention of kissing him and he suddenly went back to that phase of childhood where all boys thought girls had cooties." Emma nearly spit out her water, imagining her Dad running away like a cat at top speed with her mother chasing him, which is indeed the first thing that came to her mind. She dried her lips and laughed, with her mother chuckling as well,

"Yeah, it was funny. Even more so when I literally tied him to a lamppost with my yoyo and he screamed; sadly, Dark Cupid intercepted, and I ended up with him almost straddling me with Cataclysm in hand. I grabbed his face and slammed his lips onto mine, which broke the spell, as the lipstick was gone, and he had no memory of the event. We defeated the akuma and I never told him, until Nadja Chamack somehow had a picture of it and used it to try forcing us to admit we're dating." She shuttered, "His response was priceless, shouting 'when did that happen?!' at the top of his lungs."

Emma laughed, "Was it like that when he discovered your feelings for him?"

"Oh god..." Marinette giggled, and Emma could tell asking for another story might not have been the best idea as it was clear her mother was getting tipsy from all the wine she was drinking to handle her grief, still, it was like putting a dime in a jukebox; you just gotta let it play. "When he found out I liked him...look up the series premiere of _Fill my shoes_ on YouTube and you'll see _how_ he found out...but when he confronted me, he was acting so much like Cat Noir, smirking and joking. I tried to tell him I only had all those pictures because I loved fashion, but once I found out he was Cat Noir and he had seen all the pictures when Troublemaker happened, even the ones under my bed, I knew it was a lost cause and he had seen right through me. Afterward, he had invited me to one of his photoshoots and we became closer as he began to show more and more of his Cat Noir side." She took another sip of wine and Emma subtly told the server to stop refilling it; seriously, this was the first time she caught the man, he was a freaking wine ninja.

Marinette than began to cry, muttering Adrien's various nicknames under her breath. Emma asked for the bill and signed it, paying with some cash from her wallet. She called Natalie to pick them up early, but Gorilla was already there.

Emma smiled lovingly to her bodyguard and let him drive them home.

OoOoO

Peter had just gotten home when he was attacked by his little sister, Amethyst.

"Hi Peter!" Amethyst cheered, being the cheerful eight-year-old she was.

"Hey, Gem." Peter said, hugging her back. "Do you mind if I laid down for a bit, I had to sprint my way home so as to not have my eardrums blown by Orchestra."

"Okie! Mommy and Daddy aren't back yet, but they texted me and told me to tell you they'd be back tomorrow night!"

Nino had become a famous DJ, who toured around Europe. Alya would follow him for her blogs, which now made thousands a month. They used to get babysitters, but since Peter would be old enough to drive in three months, they decided he would be able to watch her, as Amethyst was generally independent and would so something herself if someone else told her they wouldn't.

Peter smiled to his little sister and walked into his room, locking the door and flopping on the bed. To his surprise, there was a little lump on it. That wasn't there before...

He moved closer. It was a little brown jewelry box with orange trim. He picked it up curiously. He couldn't stop himself from opening it.

When he opened the box, there was a flash of light. Peter bit back a scream as he stumbled backwards. "W-What are you?"

The little orange thing looked up, and Peter realized it was a tiny fox. It was a small orange creature with purple eyes, eyelashes on the side of its eyes, and two fox incisors. A small dark brown spot was above each of its eyes, appearing like eyebrows. It had long foxlike ears with white insides and black tips and edges, and it had a thick flexible tail with a white tip. Its forearms and lower legs were black, and the front of its body and the area around its mouth were white.

It looked up. "Oh hello, long time, Peter!"

"How do you know my name?" Peter asked, then it hit him. Trixx! The kwami his mother had had—all the kids were told of their parents' superhero identities, but not anyone else's—"Wait a second, are you a kwami? And is this... my mother's Miraculous?"

"Yes." Trixx answered.

"Why are you here?"

"I'm _your_ kwami now..." Trixx said eagerly. Peter stared incredulously.

"What?"

"I'm your kwami!"

"You want me to be a superhero?" Peter asked.

"Of course! You display everything we look for. You're kind and caring. Loyal. You always like to look out for others. You're extremely passionate too! If that isn't Miraculous worthy, then I don't know what is!" Trixx explained, "Not to mention you passed the test earlier today by helping that old man."

"So, I could help out?" Peter asked excitedly. "I could help save Paris?"

"There's the attitude I'm looking for!" Trixx cheered. Peter's face fell.

"But...what if I mess up? What if I'm a liability to my inevitable partner?"

"You'll be fine, Peter. Don't worry, we'll get through it together! And you're a lot braver than you think!"

"If you're sure..." Peter muttered. He smiled a bit. "You really think so?"

"I know so! Do you want to transform really quickly?"

"I guess." Peter agreed. He looked into the box and found his mother's old necklace from when he was little. He picked it up and examined it. He slipped it on, adjusting it. and found it went with his white shirt, grey jacket and navy jeans quite well; though he knew he'd have to tuck it under his shirt when his parents were around.

"Just say: Trixx, let's pounce!" Trixx informed.

Peter took a deep breath, "Okay, here goes nothing! Trixx, let's pounce!"

The transformation covered his body and he watched in confusion as his body moved without his consent and found himself in new attire.

His brown hair was slightly darker, and less of the untamable bedhead he usually had, if anything, it looked windswept. He looked like a genderbend of Rena Rouge.

He examined himself excitedly, knowing he had the power of illusion, and shouted, "I'm going to take a nap." to Amethyst, then leapt out the window.

OoOoO

Caitlin was about to help Butler Jean with customer service, so she made sure to look more professional, tying up her maroon hair into a messy bun. She looked down at her outfit. It was a short-sleeved white dress, with a pattern of yellow, magenta, cyan, and green triangles, and underneath the shirt was a black short-sleeved shirt. Additionally, she had on black leggings that faded into dark blue at the bottom, and she wore black spool shoes. It was much like what Clara Nightingale used to wear, being a huge fan. But sadly, it wouldn't work for right now.

She walked into her closet and put on a red-orange jacket over a dark gray dress. She also put on light gray tights and brown high heel boots. Much better.

She was about to leave, when she saw a little jewelry box on her dresser. She picked it up and opened it, only for there to be a flash and a creature appeared.

It was a deep blue creature about 10 centimeters tall. She had a small pale crimson circle on the center of her forehead, and her eyes were pale crimson with dark blue sclerae. Her tail, reminiscent of that of a real peacock, contained five feathers. The eyes of the feathers were pale crimson, with a black interior and a dark blue exterior.

The creature opened her eyes, "Hello. I'm Duusu!"

Caitlin stared at the creature for a second, before wrapping her mind around the realization this was a kwami, like her mother had had! She was going to be a superhero!

"Hi..." She said, looking down at what looked like either a brooch or a hair-clip. It looked like a peacock, with the shape of a peacock's body and head at the bottom center and with nine light sea-green tail feathers coming out from it. She clipped it into her hair, "This is Miraculous, right?"

Duusu nodded, "You catch on quick!" She flipped in the air, "And your transformation cue is: feathers out."

Caitlin beamed. She was going to save Paris from Orchestra! "Duusu, feathers out!" She was shocked as she felt her old clothing vanish and new attire appear, moving her body to assist the transformation.

She looked in the mirror and gasped.

Her auburn red hair was down in a ponytail, which was resting behind her back. She wore a turquoise mask and a dark turquoise suit with peacock symbol with a black outline printed on her chest. Wrapped around her waist was a sea-green sash that finished with peacock feathers which fell a bit below her knees. Her forearms and lower legs were sea- green, giving the impression of gloves and boots. The Peacock Miraculous rested on the side of her head as a clip. In her hand was a fan made of peacock feathers.

"I'm Paon now."

OoOoO

When Emma finally made it back to her room after tucking her mother into bed—something that didn't happen any other week than this one—she was about to go to her computer, when she saw a black box with red lines running through it.

 _What's that?_ She wondered, _Did Mother get that for me?_ She didn't think so, but it was the only explanation she could think of. She opened it and there was a flash of light and a kwami appeared.

He was a small black kwami with a large head and small body. His appearance was very cat-like, having cat ears, a tail, and green cat-like eyes, along with one whisker on his forehead and he also had one dark blue whisker on each cheek.

Emma gasped. Plagg! It was Plagg! "Plagg!"

Plagg blinked and looked up, "Adri—Emma?" He blinked looking around, "What happened? The last thing I remember is—" he gasped, "No..." he broke down, looking to Emma, "I thought you were him. You look just like a girl version of him."

Emma blushed, holding the kwami to her chest as he cried, "Shhh...it's okay..."

Plagg looked up, looking at the open scrapbook and computer screensaver, "Wow. You have just as much of an obsession as your Mom did."

"Yeah." Emma sighed, looking up to the painting, "Mother only tells me one or two stories a year and Natalie and Gorilla have told me every single one they know, which admittedly isn't much. I just want to know everything about him. I love him..."

Plagg sat in her lap, "I'll have you know, I can tell you almost anything about him. We were never apart, other than when your parents were getting sexy, from the time he got me until his death. I'll tell you anything you want to know. But for now, let's deal with the current threat. It's: Claws Out."

Emma giggled, punching her fist in front of her, "Plagg, Claws Out!" She felt the transformation cover her body, and much like her Dad before her, she had already had hers subconsciously choreographed, and she found herself in her suit.

She looked in the mirror and beamed. She looked just like a girl version of her Dad. She wore a textured black skin-tight catsuit with metal details; matching gloves that had claws on the fingertips and high boots with a hidden wedge, silver toes, and paw-shaped treads; a golden bell on her neck, connected to a zipper on the front of her costume, and a long belt that wrapped around her waist and hung out from the back like a tail; black cat ears in her golden blonde hair and a black mask around her eyes. Her eyes became cat-like with green sclerae, dark green irises, and oblong pupils. Her hair was longer and untamed, covering her normal ears.

Emma sighed, wishing her Dad could see her now, with his Miraculous. She twirled in her new suit, "Hello Kitty Noir." She looked up to the painting, "I'm going to make you proud, Dad."


	3. Chapter 2

**A/N: I am so shocked this story got so many views and likes! Sweet!**

 **Also, just to clear up, it's been ten years, so the Peacock Miraculous got fixed and in again safe to use. The power is 'protector' based on emotions, which is Mayura's power from what I've observed, though it may tweak from the real power depending on what Season 3 tells us. And it was never specified to be an animal protector… ;)**

 **And I also had someone ask Emma's age. I think I specified, but if I didn't, I did imply, but Emma is 15. 5 when Adrien died. Jeez, I'm a bad person. Damnit! Carly has corrupted me with her badpersonness—and that is a word now.**

 **Chapter 2**

Kitty Noir found herself atop the Eiffel Tower. She was surprised her baton could let her fly when twirled rapidly, and she was even more surprised to see someone already there. He had tan skin and brown eyes with dark hair, he seemed to be wearing a fox suit.

"Hello." She greeted, walking up to her assumed new partner, "I'm Kitty Noir."

The fox boy looked to her, and for a moment she thought he was checking her out, before holding his hand out, "I'm Renegade."

"And I'm Paon." They both turned and saw a redhead walk up to them. She smiled and walked up to them, "So, Renegade, Kitty—it's okay if I call you Kitty, right? Anyway, so we need to deal with Orchestra."

Kitty Noir began to pace, "Hawk Moth always wanted the Ladybug and Cat Miraculouses, so I'm probably going to be the one thrown under the bus most of the time."

"Where is Ladybug?" Renegade wondered aloud, "It would be nice to have a mentor."

Kitty Noir suddenly grinned like an idiot, "My mother! My mother would know what to do!" She ran to the railing to go grab her mother, when Paon grabbed her tail in an impression of Ladybug and Cat Noir years before,

"Hold it Kitty, you're the daughter of Ladybug and Cat Noir?!"

"Yeah." Kitty sighed, "But I'm not sure Mother would get back in the game, she was even against the idea of me having a Miraculous. I have no idea how I got my Dad's as I was told it was lost with the Butterfly Miraculous."

"Well, if your Mom doesn't want you to have a Miraculous, how in the name of logic would you pull that off? And how will you hide the ring she has definitely seen?"

"Simple." Kitty answered, "I have a ton of merchandise for my Dad, and I know Marinette Agreste has designed a ring like it. As for the asking...you're right. What the hell are we going to do? We can't purify akumas."

"Well...ask your kwami?" Renegade suggested, "He or she must have an idea."

"All ask Plagg." Kitty hid in Gustave Eiffel's office, shut all the windows and detransformed, Plagg in her hands."

"Is it over already?" Plagg asked.

"No. We just realized we have no idea how to purify the akuma. And I don't want another Stoneheart moment."

"Right." Plagg frowned to himself, "You can't purify akumas, per say...but you can destroy it." Emma gaped, "How would I do that?"

"Cataclysm. Or you could trap it in the bell and ring it, that would send off a burst of negative energy, causing it to collapse in on itself, and the ringing would act like Miraculous Ladybug. The reason you can do that is because…um, how do I put this…your parents were transformed when conceiving you."

"Ahhhh! I did not need to know that!"

"Hey. You're the one who wanted to know everything."

Emma crinkled her nose, "I wanted to know they love each other, I don't want to hear about them making love to each other."

Plagg shrugged, "Well, because you have some of Ladybug's magic in your DNA, it messes with your powers a bit. If someone else were to do it, it wouldn't work without serious ramifications—like the apocalypse."

"That sounds easy enough." Emma mused, "Claws out!" She ran back out to her teammates, who were conversing among themselves.

"Guys! Plagg says I can destroy shit!"

"Well…duh." Renegade replied, "Do you mean you can destroy the akuma?" She nodded and Paon shrugged,

"Okay." She plucked a feather from her fan, blowing it towards Kitty, "Kitty Noir, I am Paon, using your optimism and hope, I wish to provide you a protector."

Kitty nodded, "Sweet! Let's do this!" Ladybug appeared, like, _Ladybug_ , of all things. "Mom?!" 'Ladybug' didn't speak, simply leaping away from them into the city.

"Okay…" Renegade drawled, "So now what?" He chuckled, "Sorry if I sound bored, I'm just tired and this is not how I expected my day going."

"Same here." Paon agreed, her symbol appearing over her eyes again, "Hey! My Ladybug found Orchestra! Follow me!" They followed the peacock-heroine towards Hôtel de Ville, where Orchestra was…being fairly innocent by akuma standards. They had to admit, this new Hawk Moth seemed like an ethically better person, other than the tiny detail about being a supervillain. 'Ladybug' was already there, duking it out, and doing a surprisingly good job at it.

They crouched down on a building facing their target,

"What's the plan?" Renegade asked.

"Well," Paon mused, "Kitty needs to get close to the akuma, so we need to figure out where it is, and out to break it without Cataclysm. We also need to worry about the fact she's going to be the main target."

"So…should I get her attention while you figure it out?" Kitty asked, earning a shrug from her companions, she stood up,

"Hey Orchestra!" She shouted, getting the girl's attention, "Looking for me? Tell your boss she can suck it for me, because I have no intention of handing over my Miraculous." Orchestra just stared at her blankly, not seeming to give a shit, before vomiting out god knows how many akumas. So many Stoneheart references…

A feminine face appeared, "About time. I was getting worried. Look, I would rather not do this longer than necessary, so if you could just hand over your Miraculous, that would be great."

Wow. That was not nearly as intimidating as she imagined. Oh well. "Who are you?"

The face seemed to raise an eyebrow, "Oh, right. I'm Mariposa." She sighed, "I would rather not kill anyone like how Adrien Agreste and Cat Noir met their ends, but I will, so make this easy on every citizen of Paris. I can tell that Ladybug of yours is fake, so you have nobody to reverse the damage." She then vanished.

Okay. That was better. Kitty turned to the others, "So…now what?"

"Well, it's Belle Stone, so maybe an illusion of her parents?" Renegade mused, "But Jagged and Penny have always been rather chill parents."

Kitty couldn't argue with that, as Jagged Stone was her Godfather, and like her uncle, so she knew the family quite well. But honestly, they probably just wanted their daughter to be okay, and wouldn't care, and it probably didn't have to be an illusion. But that didn't mean they wanted to put the couple in danger.

The Ladybug protector faded away and the feathers of Paon's clip flashed. They all knew that meant she had five minutes. They would likely be able to hold it longer in time, like how Ladybug and Cat Noir learned to hold their transformations, but this was their first go.

Renegade played his flute, "Mirage!" An illusion of Jagged and Penny appeared, and Renegade spoke through them, speaking praise and love which was oddly accurate to the real couple. Kitty wondered how he knew what they were really like, but didn't let herself be distracted by that, jumping down stealthily and snatching the baton.

"NO!"

She snapped the baton as the akuma flew out, "Cataclysm!" She grabbed it in her hand and it crumbled. While she would rather have spared the little butterfly, they couldn't purify it yet. She rang the bell and a wave of energy burst from it as everything was set back to normal.

Paon and Renegade jumped down, and they all bumped fists, "Pound it!" Kitty was suddenly swept into a flashback,

 _Marinette laughed, having just been startled by her husband and three-year-old daughter hiding in Emma's room,_

" _Ah! Adrien, you're such a bad influence!"_

 _Adrien ruffled Emma's hair, holding out his fist, "Good going, Emma, we surprised Mommy." He took Emma's fist in his other hand and bumped it against his own, "Pound it!"_

 _Emma giggled, again bumping her fist against her Dad's "Pound it!"_

Kitty Noir saw her partners run off and she ran back home.

OoOoO

It actually hadn't been that hard to get Plagg cheese, as Natalie had gotten used to having the stuff around from when Adrien was alive, and old habits die hard.

Plagg ate his camembert, and Emma paced around her room,

"Plagg...?"

"Yes?"

"Did Dad know he was going to die during the fight?" It had bothered her for a while, because he had proven to be willing to die for his love, but he often times had seen it coming beforehand and didn't care.

Plagg looked startled by the question, and sighed, "He suspected, yes. But that didn't mean he liked it. But he had always planned to give you his Miraculous, and it is because that was his final wish that the Miraculous was lost from your mother who would deprive you of it, and came to you. There's actually a note in the box."

Emma looked back to the box, and sure enough, under the cushion was a note in her Dad's handwriting. She cried as she read it,

 _My dearest kitten,_

 _If you're reading this, then I am gone, and you have inherited my Miraculous. I'm sorry, I need to say that. You may hate me, and may not understand, but I want you to know I wouldn't have chosen to leave your life unless absolutely necessary. I want nothing more than to see you walk down the aisle, get married and start a family, and I need you to know I will watch over you and always love you. No matter what. I am with you._

 _All my love,_

 _Dad._

 _P.S. It may not seem bad at first, but Plagg's cheese craving will got on your nerves. Sorry about that._

Emma clutched the note to her chest, leaning against her headboard as she cried.

"Daddy, I love you too." She would probably frame this note. And she saw tear stains on parts of it, saying he had been crying while writing it.

OoOoO

Marinette held the box containing her former earrings in her hand. So this Kitty Noir could handle akumas, that was an unfortunate oversight. But she needed to guard the earrings better, because she had heard reports of a thief who could crack even the toughest safe, in and out like a ghost. She couldn't go through all the trouble to find that too.

She placed it on Adrien's coffin next to a bundle of roses,

"This Kitty Noir made a mistake in not handing over her Miraculous. But fear not mon chaton, nothing will stop me."

 **Carly/N: Still me publishing my sister's chapters.**


	4. Chapter 3

**A/N: And I'm back! After hours and hours and days upon weeks of endless work, winter break is here! And I thank you, Queens and Snakes, for the OC characters that I shall be using and introduced.**

 **And I am so happy, Carly gave me permission to use Zoe and Eden as characters in this story! They aren't from another world, but they are classmates. Apparently, she's cool with people using Zoe as long as they ask her first and give credit to the character's origin, see Driver3196's story** _ **Of Other Worlds**_ **if you don't believe me. I will never get to write a** _ **Fireheart**_ **chapter, but I get to play with the original concept of the characters in any way I want to, so I'm satisfied.**

 **Okay, time to do this.**

 **Chapter 3**

The first day of school after Orchestra was more locked down, but apparently normal back when Hawk Moth was at large. Though people didn't demonize Belle like they had Ivan so long ago, because this was almost normal, and all the kids had heard of it. Not that Belle wasn't shy as ever, and clicked her pen more than usual—a habit inherited from her mother.

Emma sat down and heard the laugh of Miguel.

"Look who it is, Emma fatherless Agreste." Another downside to the week of her Dad's death, since Lila was an enemy of Ladybug and Cat Noir, Miguel had been raised the same way and picked on her for it. He insisted her Dad had been fed up with her and basically commit suicide to get away, which wasn't true, but stung.

"Shut your pie-hole, asshat." Everyone turned and saw Zoe LaMotte in her seat, standing up. She and her younger sister were new, and the elder had stood her ground against the bully very early on and was probably the only person who could scare him. She was from the USA and currently lived with her godfather—who Emma had met, his name was Neil and he was actually a nice guy who worked for her mother—and Miguel had tried to pick on them for the lack of parents, like he was about to. Regardless of living with people from the fashion industry, Zoe just wore a dark green hoodie and black jeans and brown combat boots, leaving her messy chocolate hair in bed-head or very crappily brushed—she clearly had better things to do than care about her appearance. Her only fancy detail were her bright sapphire eyes, which had dulled due to the pain she had gone through, but there was enough of the original shade to pinpoint it.

"Oh come off it, orphan. Not like you're any better." Zoe just shrugged,

"Stop making other people feel bad just because your Father walked out on you because he realized your Mom's a hoe. Nobody has time to deal with your bullshit, so sit your ass down before someone gets akumatized." Wow. That hadn't been brought up, didn't make it any less true, but Emma had to wonder how Zoe knew that; then she realized that since Eden was very intuitive, she probably learned that way. She crossed her arms smugly and eyed Miguel until he sat down, before sitting in her spot behind Emma. Caitlin and Peter hadn't gotten here yet, so Zoe was her only positive acquaintance, let alone friend.

"Don't mind him." Zoe said after a minute, smiling somberly. That was the reason the two girls were friends: because they both shared parental loss trauma.

Orphelia came in next. Also known as Ink, Orphelia was an animal keeper and artist. She had short black hair with the tips dyed orange and blue eyes that almost looked purple; she had tan skin with vitiligo. Her normal attire consisted of an off-shoulder black and grey striped shirt and black short shorts with black high tops and black and grey striped thigh high socks. She was also very temperamental and picky about when she was to be touched so she could be cuddly and then switch to a loner in a heartbeat, someone Emma had seen in her Mother since her Dad died.

Next to come in was Lucius. He was a track star, a tall lean athletic boy with blonde hair and bright blue eyes and light skin. He wore a yellow gym jacket and black gym shorts and running shoe and a watch. He was very calm and collected most of the time but faked being dramatic with his friends. He was dating another classmate of theirs, Fennel, and was super protective of her.

Speaking of which, Fennel was next. She was a short brunette girl with green eyes and freckles. She wore a green tank top with a denim jacket with pins over it and brown capris shorts with brown boots. She was shy but friendly, and hid behind Lucius a lot. She was also obsessed with mythology and dominated history class.

The rest of the class came in and Emma noted the lack of Bernard.

Bernard, also known as 'Bear', was a gamer. A chubby, freckled boy with orange hair and dull blue eyes. He usually wore a black letterman jacket and jeans and a locket. Very charismatic and friendly but when he got mad is a bull in a china shop. He was fun and was a great opponent during Ultimate Mecha Strike III club on Fridays during the lunch break. She wondered where he was.

Mrs. Bustier came in a minute or so later, "Good morning students. Please open your books to page 23." She seemed weary, but that made sense, because nobody had missed the akumas.

This day was gonna be interesting.

OoOoO

"Hey Caiti," Emma called, "Wanna have lunch at Grandma and Grandpa's bakery?"

Caitlin turned, "Sure. Peter's babysitting Amethyst."

"Can I come?" Emma turned and saw Eden standing there. Eden was eleven, but she was a literal genius and skipped a couple grades so she was in 9th grade while Emma was in 10th. She had dirty blonde hair that she kept in braided pigtails and sea green eyes that almost shone like gemstones. Her attire consisted of a pink dress with a grey cardigan, rainbow socks and lilac sneakers; not to mention her sparkly pink hearing aids. She clearly had time to take care of herself, unlike her sister.

Emma thought about it for a second. She liked the younger girl enough. Eden was bubbly, but she was also very intuitive, so much so she could be considered a psychic. She could find out her secret identity. But Eden was smart enough to know that stuff needed to be kept a secret. "Okay. Go find your sister and tell her where you're going."

Eden giggled, "She's wrestling with Lucius for fifty euros if she wins. She'll be at the bakery in about fifteen minutes."

Emma rolled her eyes, "Come along then." They walked to the bakery and were met by the happy faces of Tom and Sabine, who welcomed them in happily, placing food in front of them and they all ate.

"So, how's your Dad?" Emma asked Caitlin, who shrugged,

"Good. He and Marc are publishing a new comic in honor of the new heroes in a couple weeks." Nathanael and Marc had gotten married, though he and his daughter were still close, and he was on good terms with Chloe. He didn't live in Germany because Chloe kicked him out, but because Mayor Bourgeois gave his daughter full custody.

"You're upset." Eden voiced, looking Emma up and down, her eyes lingering to her messenger bag where Plagg was hiding, "And you have a secret." Damnit, that was what she was afraid of, Eden could find something from nothing. But the younger girl just smiled, "Your Mom loves you, whatever your secret is, she'll understand in time." Okay, that was creepy. Eden was sweet, but she could be scary at times with how accurate she was.

Sabine came up with Zoe a moment later, "Hey hermanita, we gotta split, I need to get to work and you need to get to school." Zoe's classes had finished for the day, and she had a job as a waitress at Le Grand Paris, Emma knew this because she had run into her.

Eden sighed, but grinned to the Dupain-Chengs, "Thank you for letting me come over." She took her big sister's hand and they walked out.

Tom looked to Emma, "They're sweet. Reminds me of you and Hugo."

Oh…

"Fu—" She looked to a very startled Caitlin, "Fudge. I forgot what day it was." She checked the time, "And lost track of time! Crud!" She grabbed Caitlin's hand and they sprinted back to the school, making it to class in the nick of time. It was then that she noticed Caitlin's hair clip,

"Caiti, when'd you get that clip? It's pretty." It looked like a peacock, except it was turquoise, unlike Paon's dark blue, and it had more tail feathers. She knew Miraculouses disguised themselves, but that seemed a bit drastic. And it was very unlikely Caitlin was Paon, what next? Peter was Renegade?

Caitlin fingered the clip, "Oh, it was a gift from a secret admirer." Caitlin was a very popular girl for her looks—she had been very fortunate—much like Emma herself, but unlike Emma, her secret admirers really were secret, but they did exist.

Class started, and Emma found herself tuning things out until the bell rang, where she ran to the car.

"Hey G." She greeted, and she told him all about her day and how she was super late to get ready for Hugo coming, and Gorilla just chuckled and informed her that everything was already ready.

She ran inside, thanking Gorilla as she left and quickly showered.

When she came out, Plagg was waiting, "So give me some context. I've been in the ring for a decade and last I checked, there was no 'Hugo'."

"Mother tried to move on seven years ago with Uncle Luka, but she still loved Dad too much." Emma hugged the framed letter to her chest before hiding it back in the secret compartment of her desk, "But she got accidentally pregnant. But the baby already had a heartbeat, so she kept it, hence Hugo. He switches houses every two weeks. Mother and Luka are still friends though, and he's with Aunt Kagami now."

Plagg hummed to himself and ate a couple nibbles of cheese, "Okay. What about those LaMotte girls, the younger seems like she might know about us."

"She might. But Eden's smart, she'd only tell Zoe, who'd probably just tell me to be careful, but also keep the secret as she doesn't care about popularity but is all about privacy."

"So, they might be good backup Miraculous wielders in the event you need them."

"Yeah. I guess." She was brought from her musings on that topic (because she didn't even know who the guardian was, just of his existence) when there was a sharp knock on the door and a six-year-old blunette boy ran in and jumped into her arms.

"Hey Emmie!" Hugo cheered, his green eyes twinkling with glee. It had been shocking at his eye color, since both parents had blue eyes, and it reminded Emma of her Dad, which made her forget at times that he had her half-brother. She noted Plagg hiding under a pillow.

Her mother came in a minute later, "Hey you two." She was as elegant as ever in her cherry pantsuit and high bun, and she grinned to her son, but Emma noticed it didn't reach her eyes.

"Hi Mama!" Hugo giggled, pointing to his Viperion themed t-shirt, "I like the new shirt, Mama. It's like Papa!"

Marinette picked him up, "That's right." She looked to Emma, "We're having steak for dinner. Sadly, I have a work call, so I can't join you. Please watch him." Emma bit her lip, trying to hide her sadness from her little brother, but thought back to the letter from Dad. _My dearest kitten._ She smiled and nodded, "Of course, Mother." She took Hugo and helped him down the stairs, "Come on, hatchling."

They sat at the dining room table and Natalie gave them their food. Hugo started talking while Emma ate and listened half-heartedly, remembering what Eden had said about her mother loving her and understanding her secret. In time, that was key. Once Mariposa was defeated, her mother would understand, but not until then.

"Emmie! Did you hear about the new superheroes?" Hugo knew about their mother being Mulmouse, but not Ladybug, "Maybe in time, you or I could be superheroes! Mama and Papa got theirs later, maybe we could too!" Emma smiled, knowing that when he was old enough, and if she found the guardian, she would definitely let him be a superhero. That was assuming Mariposa didn't get more dangerous, because she refused to risk putting Hugo in danger.

"I did. Which one's your favorite?"

Hugo put a finger under his chin, "Kitty Noir was cool, so was Paon, and so was Renegade. I don't know. Mulmouse and Viperion!" Emma ruffled his hair,

"Silly hatchling." She laughed, "I meant the new ones, but we have only seen them once, so take your time." Deep down, she hoped he said Kitty Noir was his favorite.

He proceeded to tell her about his friends, and his 'girlfriend' Ariel—Kim and Ondine's daughter—and the new shows he liked.

She tucked him in after a couple hours and worked on her homework for a bit. Her mother came in around ten.

"You did good with Hugo, Emilie." She smiled, and it was truly genuine. Her mother kissed her forehead, "Go to bed, you've been working so hard. I love you." Emma gaped and hugged her,

"Thank you, mother. I love you too." She put her pajamas on and turned, and her mother was gone. "Plagg, was I hallucinating?"

"No. Marinette was really there. Then she vanished. I'll tell you, she was never that quiet when I knew her."

Emma sighed and read the letter again, "Why am I so attached to this letter?"

"Because it's proof that your Dad loves you."

Plagg was right. Emma crawled into bed and held the frame to her chest. Plagg snuggled up against her and purred until her breathing evened out.

Plagg smiled and remembered Adrien, and choked on tears. It had been a decade, but that was something Plagg hated about being a kwami—he didn't know that ten years, it felt like yesterday. One minute he was trying to assure Adrien that everything would be okay, the next, his kitten had been dead for years and Adrien's daughter was a suffering young woman.

He couldn't believe Marinette would treat Emma the same way Gabriel treated Adrien, it was so hard to believe. He wanted to emerge and scream at her, but Marinette would likely take the Miraculous and leave Emma alone.

Plagg smiled, "I'll protect you, mon petite Minou. No matter what. You won't be alone anymore."

OoOoO

Marinette gazed at the painting of Adrien when Natalie came in.

"Are you sure you want to do this? It's not too late. Think about Emma."

Marinette turned, "I'm doing this for her, _Mayura_! You hypocrite!"

Natalie flinched, looking physically older at the mention of her supervillain identity. Adrien had practically begged Marinette to forgive her before his death, pointing out that people do crazy things when in love, and the last ten years had rebuilt that trust, but Natalie asking her to not try bringing Adrien back brought back that anger.

"Marinette, it's not too late, it becomes addictive. Look when that got Gabriel—"

"Don't say that monster's name!"

Natalie sighed, "Hawk Moth… Look where it got him. Do you think Adrien would thank you? He'd be horrified!"

"He'll understand." Marinette replied like it was obvious, "Especially if I save him before he was lost."

"What?! What about Hugo!"

"The price. Then he'll be born to Luka and Kagami, or by myself and Adrien. Just change the timeline a little."

"Marinette, you sound insane! Listen to yourself! Not even Hawk Moth thought about sacrificing his own child, he never wanted that to happen!"

And suddenly Marinette's hands were centimeters away from her throat, "Get out of my sight before I fire you. Don't think I'll be so forgiving if you question me again."

Natalie sighed, a single tear falling down her cheek as she realized the kind young woman Adrien had married had died alongside her beloved, leaving a madwoman. "Of course. Have a good evening, Mrs. Agreste."

Marinette nodded and watched her leave, entering the lair and gazing upon Adrien's perfect form. She bent down next to the coffin and slept beside it.

"It won't be long now, chaton."

 **A/N: This chapter was namely their lives and introducing some of their new classmates. I still need more OCs, so fire away. There will be a new character introduced alongside another akuma as well, so stay tuned.**


	5. Chapter 4

**A/N: I thank Queens and Snakes, and ghost83 for the OCs used today, though I did change the name for the ghost83 one.**

 **Chapter 4**

Being a freelance thief wasn't hard, if you knew what you were doing. Nor was climbing a wall to look through a window on the third floor of an apartment complex, if you knew what you were doing. If he didn't, then he wouldn't be staring through a window as an old man pressed some buttons on a gramophone and revealed rather nice jewelry, putting something in it before leaving the apartment and walking down the street. It was late, so where he was going was a mystery, or why he was hiding jewelry.

He snuck in through the unlocked window and pressed the buttons on the gramophone, revealing a jewelry box housing many pieces of exotic gems. This had to be worth a lot. He was about to take the whole box when he heard footsteps coming from outside. The old man must have been just getting the mail. He grabbed what he identified as a bee themed hair comb and dashed off.

He made it back to his own apartment not long after that. He examined the hair comb, trying to see how much it would be worth. He poked at and examined it until there was a bright flash and a sprite-bee-thing appeared in front of him.

"How may I please you, my king?"

He blinked. Okay, what? He looked at the hair comb and saw it was now pure silver. The hell?

"What are you?"

"I'm Pollen, your kwami. You have been granted the Miraculous of the Bee, giving the wielder the power of subjection. What is your name, my king?"

"Um…Cole…Cole Parker…"

"Okay Cole, all you have to say is: Pollen, Buzz on."

Cole stood up, "Alright. Is this a joke? Like one of those pranks for package thieves. Because there is no way I just stole something magical."

"If the guardian let you steal it, then you were meant to have one."

Cole started pacing, "I just wanted to sell this thing. I wasn't supposed to become a superhero! I just want enough money to live a normal, quiet life _away_ from Paris and these akumas."

"It's your destiny."

He ran his hands through his golden hair, "Ugh. I don't have a choice, do it? And I don't want to seem suspicious or crazy. Next akuma, I'll do it."

OoOoO

The day hadn't gone by too badly by Emma's standards. Nothing important had happened, but Zoe had braided her hair, meaning she took time to care about her appearance, and that was the sign of the apocalypse.

They were in Biology right now, with their teacher Ms. Dubois.

She was very sweet and compassionate about her job, a nature lover and had a strong pet peeve about people not putting trash in the trash bin and recycling in the recycling bin. She had a sweet personality but if you make her made it's like you released hell.

She had auburn hair always in a braid and dark green eyes, and tan skin. She always wore a white blouse with short puffy sleeves and high waisted green skirt with green heels. She also wore a charm bracelet with plants and animals on it.

But like any good day, Miguel had to ruin it. Unlike his mother, who lied her ass off, he made people miserable with brutal truths or theories. Emma guessed he hadn't gotten a good grade on the Biology test last week, as he decided to be more of a brat than usual,

"Did you guys hear they're replacing the park on the edge of town with a mall?" He asked, louder than he would if he didn't make it clear he wanted the teacher to hear. There were two parks in Paris, the one by the bakery, and the old one nobody really went to, but was pretty.

Ms. Dubois looked up from grading homework, "What?"

"Yeah. It's coming down, and the mall's gonna be great." He knew full well that she loved the park, and Emma glared at him,

"Don't be rude. Just because the city voted on it, doesn't mean you have to rub it in."

Ms. Dubois looked down, "Um…" She got up and stepped outside, "I need to make some copies, I'll be right back." She left, and Emma looked worriedly to Plagg in her bag, who nodded, confirming the odds of their teacher getting akumatized was high.

And it wasn't even five minutes before the school was filling with vines.

"Everyone! Get out of here!" Emma encouraged.

"Eden!" Zoe ran off in search of her little sister.

Emma was the last one in the room, "Mariposa won't get away with this. Plagg, claws out!"

…

Peter hid in the boy's bathroom, "Trixx, what do I do? I don't think I'm ready for this."

"Yes, you are, Peter. You already did a lot with Orchestra."

Peter sucked in a breath and pulled the necklace out of his sweatshirt, now visible, "Trixx, let's pounce!"

…

Caitlin managed to barricade herself in the girl's locker room. Duusu emerged,

"Ready?"

"Yeah. I hope Kitty and Renegade hurry and get here. Duusu, feather's out!"

…

The trio of heroes met up in the park by the Dupain-Cheng bakery, gasping at the sight around them.

The whole of Paris was coated in vines and plant-life, and there were plant-people around, who saw them, but didn't do anything until their villain appeared.

She was a green skin woman with red eyes and had thorns and various plants over her as a dress. She also had a purple-black bracelet on her wrist that Kitty identified as the akumatized object.

"Heroes of Paris, I am Succubent. This is my plant's world now! So just hand over your Miraculouses and I'll let you stay. Or you'll breathe in my pollen and become one of my minions." She flicked her wrist and vines flew at them, spraying pollen, which Paon blew away with her fan,

"This isn't good."

Kitty smacked away a cactus-person with her baton, "I'm a little _stumped_ , how about you? I have a feeling we need to _branch_ out." She shrugged, " _Oak_ -y _yew_ guys," she said to the plant-people, " _leaf_ us alone."

Renegade paused, "Wow. You really are like your father. Three in one, very punny indeed."

"Thank you." She smacked a vine away, "Someone needs to call the _copse_ , this is getting annoying."

"You're puns are gonna get annoying if you don't take this seriously!" Paon shrieked, using her fan to cut through enemies.

OoOoO

Cole looked out the window and to Pollen, "So…I have to do this."

"Correct, my king."

He sighed, slipping the hair comb into his hair, "Pollen, Buzz on!"

He transformed. He looked in the mirror and took in his appearance. He had a black mantle with yellow details sewn draped over his left arm and shoulder; a yellow vest with a black body suit underneath, the vest having black lines of hexagons; his pants were knee-high yellow boots. Finally, a black mask that covered his mouth and nose, while the standard 'Miraculous hero mask' in yellow covers his eyes.

"Okay then…" he looked outside, and down at the silver rapier that was his weapon, "Pollen, just how were my cotton clothes 'magicked' into spandex?" No answer. "Fine. Time to go keep those kids alive."

OoOoO

"AH! This is fricking crazy!" Kitty shrieked, jumping out of the way of a pollen-spewing plant, "Ladybug and Cat Noir didn't have to deal with this in their first go!"

"Yeah, but Mariposa can learn from Hawk Moth's mistakes!" Renegade shouted to her, smacking a fly-trap-person with his flute.

Kitty Noir saw the butterfly symbol appear over Succubent's eyes and she cackled from her perch of vines, cupping her hands in a ball, which brought the vines together and trapped all three heroes in a ball of vines. The flowers bloomed and sprayed their pollen just as the heroes held their breath.

Kitty didn't know what to do, she couldn't call upon Cataclysm without breathing and that would help nobody.

…

"Yes!" Mariposa cheered, "It won't be long before they're your slaves. Take Kitty Noir's Miraculous!" She grinned, looking to Adrien's body that would soon be full of life once more.

Then she froze in both parts confusion and horror.

…

Kitty was running out of air fast, she wouldn't be able to avoid it much longer. Renegade had passed out and the only reason he wasn't a plant was because Paon was covering his nose and mouth, she was doing surprisingly well, definitely the more experienced of the trio

Suddenly, there was a loud snapping noise and they were free. Kitty took in a gasp of clean air and helped support the unconscious Renegade.

The yellow blur landed in front of the trio of heroes, standing in-between them and Succubent. He was clearly the wielder of the Bee Miraculous, _he_ , not Chloe. The bee hero turned, a surprisingly mature voice coming out, "Are you brats actually going to be statues, or all you all going to move?"

Kitty snapped out of it, "Paon, get Renegade somewhere safe. He hasn't used Mirage yet, so you shouldn't worry about him detransforming on you." Paon nodded and took their male partner into the bakery.

She ran to the new hero, "Hey. Thanks for saving us."

"Don't mention it. Now, I need to have a mental breakdown, so let's deal with her before that happens." He pulled out the rapier, "Venom!" The rapier had a golden glow to it and he sliced clean through some vines, stunning multiple plant people at the same time.

Kitty Noir gaped at him and charged Succubent, trying to ignore it was her teacher. It was easier jumping on the vines to reach her, and dodging wasn't too bad once she figured it out.

"Cataclysm!" Dark bubbles appeared in her hand and she slammed it on the vines, causing all of them to crumble to the ground. She snatched the bracelet off the stunned villain and snapped it, shoving the akuma into her bell and ringing it. Everything went back to normal.

Paon came out with Renegade in her arms, "Kitty! He's not breathing!"

"Oh hell…" The bee hero breathed, "Set him down." Paon obeyed and the hero started doing chest compressions and rescue breaths until Renegade coughed and sat up.

"T-Thank you…you saved my life."

"Don't go doing anything stupid again, kid."

Paon crossed her arms, "Who are you?"

The hero frowned, "Um…King Bee?"

Kitty Noir shook his hand, "Well King Bee, thank you. I hope to see you again during patrol. We patrol tomorrow night at ten." Her ring beeped, "Ah! Got to go!" She turned to Ms. Dubois, "Are you okay?"

She nodded, "Yes. A little disoriented, but fine. Thank you, Kitty Noir."

OoOoO

Cole sat at home, having given Pollen a bottle of honey for the moment. He had intended to help the heroes, not be forced to save one's life. These were children. _Children_! He didn't know who he hated more, Mariposa, or the old man who gave magic jewelry to children. Look how well it ended for Cat Noir.

He didn't want to do anything overly dangerous, and he didn't want to do much in the way of work, but he was stuck with this. Not do it and he could look crazy or suspicious for having stolen the thing, and those kids would get themselves killed.

He groaned, thinking about Kitty Noir's invitation. "Might as well."

OoOoO

Peter laid down in his room, the memory of passing out, thinking he'd die, haunting him. He wasn't ready for this, he didn't help them.

He fingered the necklace, Trixx looked at him,

"Are you alright?"

"I think the guardian chose the wrong person. I was just a hindrance."

Trixx shrugged, "Every hero has their off akuma. Think about the Heroes' Day, both your parents got akumatized. And this is only the second one, you'll improve."

He bit the inside of his cheek, "Okay. I'm not sure if I can be a hero." He felt a tear fall, "I'm just a screw up."

He didn't notice the akuma getting closer to him.

 **A/N: And there's the debut of Cole/King Bee and Peter having doubts and attracting an akuma. What will become of this? Review to find out! I have my own author kwami like Carly does, Nikko, that needs food!**

 **Also, I want Zoe and Eden to both become temporary heroes and get akumatized, but not the same Miraculouses as Fireheart and Tigris, so shoot me ideas, Carly just smirked and told me to ask the viewers when I asked her. I have an idea for an akumatized Zoe, but I want to hear the input of you all.**


	6. Chapter 5

**A/N: This chapter is mostly Peter and the Lahiffe family, there will be a chapter revolving around Caitlin and her family some time in the future.**

 **Chapter 5**

Mariposa, being a former hero, knew an opportunity when she saw one. Unlike Hawk Moth, she wasn't going to gradually get harder, she was going all out and get harder faster. Because there were more heroes right off the bat, this could cancel out, but she was not making it easy. So, when she detransformed and then got the alert of another golden victim, she fed Nooroo and took it.

Had she expected it to be the wielder of the Fox Miraculous having doubts about being a hero? No. And from what she observed, the boy was a lot like her first go as Ladybug. She couldn't sense his identity, just the Miraculous. Her akuma entered the necklace.

"Hello Renegade, I am Mariposa."

" _NO!"_ She heard him shriek, _"You won't get me! You can't force me to do evil! Not now, not ever! So you might as well just give up now!"_

"Who said anything about evil? My wish is to help people with the power of the Miraculouses, and you my dear boy can help me. I'll enhance your powers, so you can be the most powerful hero of them all, and in return, you must bring me Kitty Noir's Miraculous."

" _NO!"_

Mariposa smirked, she'd stay with him as long as she needed to, until he broke, it shouldn't be long.

…

Alya and Nino got home from their date, not expecting anything out of the ordinary, when Amethyst ran to them,

"Mommy! Daddy! Something's wrong with Peter! He's screaming and crying and banging his head against the wall!"

Both parents looked to each other and ran into their son's room where Peter was banging his head against the wall way too hard,

"You won't get me! You won't!"

Alya ran over to him, "Baby! Stop! You'll kill yourself!" She gasped as she saw the butterfly symbol over his eyes and the blackened Fox Miraculous around him neck, "Oh no… Mariposa! Leave my son alone!"

Nino sucked in a breath and held Peter back as he started crying out, picking him up and setting him on the couch.

"Peter, just breathe, focus on positive things."

"I-I can't…" he breathed, but it was more of a whimper, "It hurts…make it stop."

Alya turned to Amethyst, whipping out her phone, "Nora, I need you to watch Amethyst."

" _Sure, I'd love to watch my favorite niece. Why?"_

"Peter's become Mariposa's target, he's fighting it, but gave himself a bad head injury and I don't know if he'll get his soul sucked out of his body or something if he keeps fighting and—Nora, I'm scared, we're taking him to Chloe's, she has the best doctors."

" _Let me tell the guys at work. On my way."_ Nora hung up and Alya saw Nino cradling Peter as he wept quietly, whispering words of encouragement.

"Just breathe, we'll get you help…just breathe…" Peter's breaths were coming in unevenly and Amethyst brought bandage wrap and her favorite teddy bear,

"You can hold this, Peter." She said, trying to hide the fear laced in her words.

Peter took it, smiling weakly at her through half-lidded eyes, "T…Thanks Gem."

"We're not really taking him to Chloe, are we? Doctors won't help." Alya shook her head,

"We're taking him to Master Fu."

"Who's Master Fu?" Amethyst asked.

"He's an old friend of ours who helped us when we were younger. If anyone knows how to help your brother, it would be him."

There was a sharp knock on the door and Nora came in with her spare key.

"Cappie." She greeted Nino with her old nickname for him, even though he rarely wore a cap anymore.

"Thank you for coming, Anansi." If they were using nicknames, he would, but since marrying Alya, he was permitted to call her by her birth name.

"No problem." She saw Peter in his father's arms, "How is he?"

"Not good." Alya said, "A part of me just wants him to give in so he won't be in pain anymore, but I don't want Mariposa controlling my son for even a second. I've never seen anyone fight it this long before."

"Don't worry. Just get him to the heroes, and he'll be fine."

"I know." She sighed, "I wish I was still a hero, then I could grab—Ladybug!" She pulled out her phone, dialing Marinette, "LB?"

" _Yes? I thought I told you not to call me that anymore. I'm in a meeting right now and really need to go, bye."_

"Wait—" Marinette hung up and Alya tore at her hair, "Ladybug's unavailable." Nino supported Peter against him as they walked to the car, resting Peter in the back with a pillow.

"Just hang in there, Peter." Nino said.

"Dad…? Mom…? Are you mad?" They knew what he was referring to, it wasn't a question.

"Sweetheart, we'll discuss it when you're better, but we're not mad, and we're not going to take the Miraculous from you. Just think about that, happy things, try driving her away."

Peter clutched his head, "Hear that, bitch? I was just concerned, not enough so to give in." The symbol appeared again, and he cried out louder, "I'm not worthless!" He fell slack and Alya had to hold her son's hand from the front to keep checking his pulse.

It felt like forever before they made it to the master's apartment.

"FU!" Alya shrieked, Nino supporting Peter, "Help!"

Master Fu gasped, "Why did you bring him here?! Mariposa could get the Miraculous if he gives in!"

She grabbed him by the collar of the shirt, "You gave my son a Miraculous and now he's in agony _fighting_ the akuma, and you worry about the box!? We came here for help!"

Master Fu sighed, "Set him down." Nino rested him down with a pillow, "Peter, how long have you been fighting it?" Peter just shrugged feebly in response,

"An hour…Maybe two?"

His eyes widened, "This is incredible. I know the Miraculous creates a resilience, but nothing like that. This just solidifies my theory that you're the right one."

Nino crossed his arms, "Sure. But we can be proud when we find a way to help him. He'll only be able to take it for so long before it reaches beyond human tolerance." Judging by the fact he had stopped talking to Mariposa and just had his eyes closed, he already seemed on the brink of unconsciousness.

"I'm sorry. I can't do anything to help you. The only one who could help him is Kitty Noir. The problem is I didn't give her the Miraculous, so I only have a vague idea of who she is."

"You didn't?"

"No. I meant to give someone the Miraculous of the Bee, but not only was it stolen by another worthy candidate, Kitty Noir came into the picture." He looked at Peter, "When's the next patrol?"

"T-Tomorrow night…but Kitty does every night…"

"Thank god." Nino sighed in relief, "Master, if I may." Master Fu slipped off the Turtle Miraculous and Nino put it on, "Wayzz, Shell on!" Nino was gone, Carapace in his place. He picked Peter up,

"Trixx…let's pounce…" The transformation covered him as he leaned into his father's warmth, closing his eyes again.

"I'll take care of him and bring him home safely." He promised his wife, and leapt off into the night.

OoOoO

Kitty Noir did patrol every night because feeling the wind in her hair was a sense of freedom and made her feel what her Dad had felt all those years ago. She didn't mind doing it, and she was the only one who could handle akumas, so it wasn't a hassle. Plagg disagreed a bit, but he didn't argue.

She did not expect to be met with the form of Carapace, with a weakening and possibly unconscious Renegade in his arms. She bowed to the senior hero, a sense of respect filling her. She didn't know his civilian identity, but he had to be close to her parents.

"Kitty Noir. I need your help." The pleading tone took her by surprise. "My son…Mariposa's trying to akumatize him, but I don't think he'll be able to fight it much longer without…" _Dying_. Kitty didn't know much about Renegade, but she did consider him a friend and didn't want him to die.

"Where's the akuma?"

"The necklace."

She looked up in panic, "I was told Cataclysm can destroy a Miraculous without issue, but then I'll see his secret identity."

"Don't worry about that. I'll shield him."

Kitty sucked in a breath, "Cataclysm." She destroyed the necklace and Renegade detransformed and got covered by his apparent father as she destroyed the akuma and set things to normal. He retransformed and looked up at her weakly,

"Thanks cat." His eyes rolled into the back of his head and Carapace sighed,

"We should go home, Rena's probably worried sick. I'll give you a status update tomorrow." He vanished, and Kitty watched him run,

"What's going on?" She turned and saw King Bee standing there, "I was about to go to bed when I see a retired hero running with Foxy limp in his arms, I needed to see what was happening."

"Renegade almost got akumatized, I destroyed it, but he didn't seem to be in good shape."

King Bee smiled proudly in Kitty's direction, "Good going Cat Kid. Looks like you have at least some idea what you're doing."

She sighed, "I hope he's okay. I feel like I've already failed. He got hurt, and because of that almost got akumatized and was in pain. Was I the right person for this? I always wanted to be a hero, but I can't help but think this might be the beginning of the end."

King Bee softened, "Foxy's gonna be fine, you'll see. Now, should we do patrol while we're here?"

Kitty smiled, "I'd like that."

OoOoO

Alya sat in a chair, holding Peter's hand. He hadn't woken up yet, and she had since wrapped his head, where there had been light bleeding. Amethyst came in, holding her blanket,

"Mommy…is Peter gonna be okay? I had a bad dream that he died." Nino came in and brought her over,

"He's going to be fine. We're taking him to the doctor in the morning. Do you wanna stay with us?" Amethyst nodded and curled up on the bean bag chair with her Dad, curling up against him as Alya joined the cuddle, right next to Peter's bed.

Peter stirred after about a half hour, "Dad? Mom?" Both parents jolted up and to his side,

"Are you okay?"

"My head hurts."

Nino pursed his lips together, "As it should. We're taking you to the doctor in the morning."

"Do you think I can be a hero?" The question caught both parents off guard. Trixx emerged and curled up against him.

Alya stroked his hand, "We're so proud of you, Peter. If you need help, don't hesitate to ask for it."

"Thanks…" he fell back asleep again.

OoOoO

Marinette shrieked in rage. How?! How had that boy fought her for so long, and even got to Kitty Noir? She had been ready to kill that kid to get him to give in. No, it turned out he was particularly strong willed.

She was very disappointed to not have gotten a name on those parents, because that would be the key to having Renegade under her thumb.

She sighed, "I failed you tonight, mon chaton, but I won't again."

OoOoO

Emma walked to the hospital where Peter was staying. Because his head injury had been serious, he was to stay the night and be monitored, but according to Uncle Nino, other than one hell of a migraine, he was fine. He was lucky, because falling down the stairs could have snapped his neck.

"Hey Peter. You okay?" She didn't turn the light on, and Peter sat up, bandages still around his head.

"Hey Em." His eyes were still dilated more than they probably should be, but it could be worse. "I've been better. This bed is like a rock." Emma pulled out her spare pillow and put it behind him,

"Better?"

"Thanks."

"Save some for me." They turned and saw Caitlin in the door, and she caught on quickly to use a hushed voice, "I didn't bring anything, because I didn't know what would help. Actually, that's a lie, I brought cards from the class, telling you to get well soon."

He smiled, "Thanks guys."

Emma grinned, "Don't mention it."

 **A/N: Shorter chapter, and there will be another akuma next chapter and more plot shit. This was mainly to how that the akumas really can hurt people when resisting, because nobody's fought it for longer than a few minutes, so we have no way of knowing, and Miss Bustier didn't seem to have the most pleasant time with her record of two minutes.**

 **But Alya and Nino know about Peter, because why not.**

 **And remember to review and send me more OCs (full credit will be given)!**


	7. Chapter 6

**A/N: I'm alive! If you want to know why I was gone, go check out Rise of Papillon. Long story short, I've been either sick or doing shit.**

 **Anyway, this is a pt.1 and pt. 2 thing. yes, I am having a very dangerous fight now. It's like a midseason finale.**

 **And as usual, remember to review. The next chapter will be much longer than this one, as this is set-up land.**

 **Chapter 6: Fortune's Fight, Part 1**

Emma finished up her homework for that day with ease, before walking home with Zoe. They were partners on a new study project, but really Emma wanted to make sure the normally strong girl was okay. The last month, she had been pale and sleeping less, and taking even less care of herself. Emma knew from Eden that Zoe had many jobs to pay the bills, but it couldn't be that bad.

"Hey…" Zoe said quietly, "Can we stop at the store for a minute, I need to grab something."

"Sure. What do you need?" Zoe didn't answer, pulling out her wallet and walking into the store, coming out with her backpack a little more full.

"I needed to get some food for my sister." Zoe said, "And I need to be home by nine. Eden is staying with Amethyst—thanks for recommending Mrs. Lahiffe to me—but I need to pick her up."

Emma and Zoe walked to her room, and Natalie brought them some food, but she looked tired.

"Natalie, are you okay?" Emma asked. Natalie nodded,

"Your mother has just been in a mood." Emma grimaced, knowing the assistant was right. Her mother had been very bitter, and had been ignoring Hugo even. Zoe pursed her lips,

"I take it that's a normal thing." Emma nodded.

"Ever since Dad died…" there was a knock on the door and Peter came in, still with the bandage over his head.

"Hey guys! I had a doctor's appointment, but Caitlin told me I was partnered with you two." He sat down, "So what's the project?"

"History of superheroes." Emma replied, actually relieved this was a project. It was mainly to celebrate Hawk Moth's defeat and mourn Chat Noir, but still.

Zoe smiled, grabbing something from her bag and walking into the bathroom, "Start without me, I'll be back in a second."

She came back after a minute and they worked tirelessly on the project. Zoe left an hour earlier than expected because she forgot about her shift at the hotel restaurant, and Peter stayed with Emma.

"Emma?" Because they had known each other forever, Marinette didn't care if they shared a bed. Peter sat up and crossed his legs, "I need some help."

"Yeah?" Emma was braiding her long hair and cleaning up her desk.

"So…I've started doing something…and I heard my parents talking to someone. Master Fu? I don't know who that is, but I want to find out. My parents went to him first when I fell down the stairs."

Master Fu? Why did that sound familiar? Emma frowned,

"Yeah, that sounds interesting. We'll look tomorrow." She crawled into bed, "But for now, we need time to sleep." Peter nodded,

"Yeah. Thanks Em."

OoOoO

Caitlin was trying out new outfits that coordinated with her brooch when her mother came in.

In her adulthood, Chloe had grown into a fair woman, with her hair in a low bun and wearing casual jeans and flannel shirt.

"Hey Caitlin." She kissed her daughter's forehead, but frowned upon seeing the brooch, "Where did you get that? Sorry I haven't been around as often, work called. But I do want to see my favorite girl."

"I got the brooch from a secret admirer. It just doesn't go with my red hair, yet I love it." Chloe continued looking at it, "Mom? You okay?"

"It's just…" her eyes widened, "I saw that brooch before. On Mayura." Caitlin's eyes widened in horror at how her mother could figure it out.

"I—uh—Gabriel made jewelry like this before he was arrested, right? It's probably an old antique thing. I think I would know if I was a peacock heroine, and wouldn't Emma die of her allergy whenever around me?" Yeah, Emma had inherited the feather allergy from her father. Chloe sighed,

"Chat wasn't affected regardless of his allergy." She got up, "I'll ask Jean to get you something. And Caitlin," Caitlin turned and saw her mother's sad smile, "I'm proud of you for not making the same mistake I did."

"Huh?"

"Never mind." Chloe said, "I just need to go back to work. And remember to tell me what you want for your birthday. Sixteen is an important birthday." And then her mother was gone.

Duusu emerged and Caitlin turned to her kwami, "What mistake?" Duusu shrugged,

"She didn't seem to want to talk about it. Maybe just leave her be." Caitlin shook her head,

"She seemed really upset. I know she was Queen Bee, maybe the jewelry that looks like a Miraculous brought back some memories?" She then brightened, "I'll make her those cookies she loves!" Caitlin tied her red hair back and ran down to the kitchen.

"Butler Jean!" She called, "Mom's upset and I want to make those cookies for you."

"Of course Mademoiselle." Jean said, and Caitlin rolled her eyes at the butler,

"It's just Caitlin. You know I hate formalities."

"Well Caitlin," Jean said with a chuckle, "You are the first in the Bourgeois family to be that way from the beginning."

OoOoO

Zoe returned to the flat she called home and discarded her backpack on the couch.

"Showy?" Eden said, "I need help with a question on my homework."

"Alright Hermanita, I'll be back in a moment." She walked into the guest room and looked to her godfather, Neil, "Neil? Anything?" Neil looked up, before shaking his head.

On the bed lay the love of Zoe's life, Eli. He had gone missing a year prior, so Zoe and Eden had gone to New York searching for him when the bomb wiped out Seattle. She found Eli abandoned in an old warehouse, bloody, naked, broken and vulnerable. She found out he had been kidnapped, raped, and tortured. But his wounds had become horribly infected, and doctors had called him a lost cause.

That was why Zoe worked so many jobs, so she could pay for medicine for him, so he wouldn't leave her. They also needed enough money to put food on the table. Neil had a stable job, but the extra funds of two adolescent girls and a dying boy made the bills go up by a lot.

"Hey love." She sat down by his side. Eli opened his eyes, just a crack.

"Hey…Princess…" he smiled weakly, squeezing her hand a little. She sighed in relief, pulling out the medicine she had gotten at the store,

"I brought you some more medicine." She said, "Couple more weeks of this and you might be well enough to walk! Few more months and you might be able to go to school for a day or so." Eli closed his eyes,

"Stardust, I'm dying. You know I am. Focus on Eden and move on from me. Let me go. You're exhausted." Deep down, Zoe knew he really was dying, but she was a LaMotte, and so she refused to accept that.

"Nope. Eli, if you die I will bring you back from the dead, just so I can kill you myself!" She held up her hand with the promise ring on it, "You promised you'd hang on…"

"I know…" A tear fell down his cheek, "And I did…until you got back…so I could remind you of how much I love you." And then he fell slack, closing his eyes as his breathing weakened even more.

Zoe never wanted to see Eli in death, just to recall his vibrant smile, but everyone said it was part of letting go. He lay on the bed, tucked in as if it mattered, perfect "hospital corners." There was no grayness, simply a lack of the pink in his cheeks that she missed so dearly. Her hand found his without thinking and recoiled just as fast—so cold. Then she knew. It wasn't him at all, just his body. She wasn't the only one in the room, Eli was still breathing, but it wouldn't be long before he was gone, he had fallen asleep and he wasn't going to wake up.

The tears flowed unchecked down her cheeks and dripped from her chin. She was too sad to cry out or wail, she just sat there as still as a statue while the magnitude of her loss swept over her. For once again she was lost in the torrid vortex of loss. It was a moment that carried her forwards until only death could release her from it's clutches. She was forever tormented by a past that could not be undone.

"E-Eli…please…" she held his cold hand, "Don't go…"

Eden came in and curled up next to her sister, weeping quietly, having seen Eli like a big brother. Then she looked up and screamed as an akuma flew into her sister's ring.

Zoe looked up as she heard a voice in her head,

"Miss Fortune," the voice said, "I am Mariposa. I see you and I both have lost the love of our life, and we wish to bring him back. I will give you the power to save your love and make all the people who gave up on you and him pay. But in return, you must bring me Kitty Noir's Miraculous so I can save my own love."

Now, Zoe would normally fight this bitch and would be one of the first to full-on win. But Mariposa was offering to help her save Eli and get revenge. It was too perfect to pass up.

"I swear Mariposa, I will win!"

"Showy?!" Eden screamed and sprinted out of the flat.

Miss Fortune smirked, looking down at her lover, healing his wounds and treating his infections. Eli opened his eyes and sat up,

"Huh? What happened? Zoe?" Miss Fortune kissed her lover passionately,

"It's Miss Fortune now, love." She said, "I have saved you, and now I will make those people who hurt us pay." Then she vanished into the night. Eli tried to run to the window, but stumbled,

"Zoe! Wait!"

OoOoO

During patrol, King Bee had a newspaper with him, opening it up and looking through jobs. Kitty Noir looked over his shoulder, "So, why are you looking for a job?"

King Bee sighed,"How old are you?"

"Fifteen, why?"

King Bee froze, "Fifteen years old... Geez, that's young." He huffed, "To put things into perspective, Cat Kid, I'm an adult. When you're young, you live with your parents. That is your income, or how you get money. However, as you get older, you have to get a job. Because of this hero-thing and my old job, it's cutting deep into my budget. Rent, bills, food, heating, electricity, all of it is involved with our lives. I need a place to live, and I need a job for it."

Kitty slowly nodded, "So, what's the problem?" He sighed again and explained, "I don't want to be paid to be a hero. I want to live a simple life outside of the mask, where I'm just an ordinary citizen. With how frequently unscheduled the Akuma attacks are, not many jobs are flexible and well paying. The job that had the highest income with flexible hours is being a coffee waiter, and even that is pushing how many people are there to see me transform."

"That is an issue." Kitty mused, then brightened, "Hey! My friend, Emma Agreste, her mother is looking for new people. And since she was used to working with superheroes, she can take pity." King Bee smiled a little,

"Thanks Cat Kid, I'll have to look at that."

Just then, Paon and Renegade ran up to them.

"Something's going on!" Paon said, "Come on!"

The four heroes ran to the hospital, where they saw one of the doctors crucified on the wall, with carvings on his skin.

Kitty threw her hands over her mouth, and King Bee looked the body over,

"Who would do this? Judging be the patterns, I would say this was an akuma. Any idea who?" Renegade walked up to the body, then paled.

"There is only one person I know with the fighting style of going for the jugular." Then they heard a choked shriek and they all turned to see a knife protruding from Kitty Noir's side as she fell to the ground.

When the cat-themed heroine fell to the ground, a figure appeared.

Her suit was a black skin-tight catsuit with blood red accents at the knees, forearms, waist and neck. Her hair was jet black in color with red streaks, and was long enough to touch the floor and braided. Her eyes were dark violet, and her teeth were pointed. In her hand was silver dagger with a sapphire in the center.

"Peek-a-boo." She said maliciously, and brought the silver dagger down to end Kitty Noir's life…

 **To be continued…**


	8. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7: Fortune's Fight, Part 2**

"KITTY?!"

"Venom!" King Bee activated one of his powers on his rapier and attacked Miss Fortune before she could bring the dagger down, even though the akumatized villainess dodged by bouncing around. She giggled sadistically, and then shrugged,

"I'll be back when she's dead. Don't worry Mariposa, I just don't want the kid breathing. Less risk of Cataclysm that way. You gave me back my love, so I will help you get back yours." Judging by the butterfly symbol that appeared and the fact Miss Fortune smiled, Mariposa approved of that plan.

"Kitty!" Renegade and Paon had taken the knife out, and King Bee sprinted over.

"No, you don't take the knife out! Now she'll bleed out faster!" He pulled out a rag from his magic bag and pressed it firmly against the wound. Kitty Noir looked up through half-lidded eyes,

"My side hurts…" King Bee picked her up.

"Yeah, you got stabbed. Renegade, you said you knew Miss Fortune?"

"Yeah. Her name is Zoe." Renegade said, "I've worked with her, which does not narrow down my secret identity because she has like a million jobs. But I wasn't so sure when she said something about her love. I have not met anyone she is in love with."

"She must mean Eli." They turned and saw Eden standing there, looking scared, "Come on, I can help you hide."

OoOoO

They made it to Zoe's flat and Eden was surprised to see Eli not dead, though still paler than normal.

"Guys, this is Eli. Zoe's boyfriend and betrothed." She raised an eyebrow, "Last time I saw you, you were minutes away from death."

"Apparently Zoe healed me?" Eli shrugged, "I don't really know." Then his gaze sunk onto the fading superhero and he got up, leaning on the wall.

"Set her down. I'll grab the sewing kit." He walked off, and the superheroes noticed he was walking with a limp. He came back with the sewing kit as King Bee set Kitty down. Eli unzipped the blonde girl's suit and started stitching up the wound with expert skill. At the incredulous looks, he sighed,

"Zoe's been stitching me up for a year now. You get good at it." He continued his work, and supplied Kitty with a glass of water as he cleaned her up.

"What do you mean?" Renegade asked, "I know Zoe pretty well and she's never mentioned you."

"Because she didn't want pity." Eden said, "Showy's been taking care of Eli for years. He was kidnapped and tortured. The perpetrators were never found, and the doctors said Eli was going to die."

"Wait," Paon gasped, "So if we defeat Miss Fortune, Eli will die. And I know Zoe too, if we let him die to defeat her, she'll become like Lila—a villain completely." Zoe's love of her sister and her million jobs was already the only thing stopping her from being a villain. Eli's expression darkened as he finished stitching up the wound's internal damage.

"Besides, we don't want to kill him." Renegade said, then brightened, "Master Fu! When I was almost akumatized, by parents took me to him. My parents are Rena Rouge and Carapace, and, while it's fuzzy, I remember something about the Miraculous." King Bee started pacing,

"Old guy in a horrible Hawaiian shirt?" Renegade nodded, and King Bee sighed in relief, "I know where he is. Eden, guard Kitty. Miss Fortune won't hurt you."

Renegade helped Eli pick up the pace, before barreling into the Guardian's home. Master Fu turned,

"What—how did you?!" Paon bowed,

"Great Guardian. We require your assistance. Kitty Noir is down, and we realized a problem. If we reverse the damage, this boy" she gestured to Eli, "Will die." Master Fu approached Eli, lifting his shirt to reveal the horrific scars all over his body.

"Tortured and left to die, and infection had set in by the time you were found?" Eli nodded. Master Fu made a humming noise and walked into the back room, coming back with a vial, "Drink this. It will protect you from the Miraculous Chat effects." Eli drank the potion, and King Bee helped him stand.

"But Kitty is down still." Paon said, "I can use an Amok, but I don't think that will help." She brightened, "Master, what if we gave Eli a temporary Miraculous? If anyone who could snap Zoe out of a rage, I think he could do it." Master Fu nodded,

"Paon, choose a Miraculous to use for this mission. Once the task is complete, you must return the Miraculous to me." Paon hesitated, before taking the Mouse Miraculous.

"Eli Sommers, here is the Miraculous of the Mouse. Use this power for good and return this to me when the task is complete." Eli took the necklace and put it around his neck,

"I will do anything to save my Princess. Mullo, transform me!" He transformed, and they decided to just call him Mouse because why not.

Mouse wore a grey, pink, and black suit. His mask was gray at the top and pink with a black border at the bottom. He wears black gloves that were a little above his elbows and have a thick pink horizontal stripe at the end. He also wore black boots that were above knee-level with a thick pink horizontal stripe.

He looked at the jumprope he had now, "Okay. Time to go save her."

OoOoO

Mouse, as it turned out, was some sort of parkour god. He was actually better than King Bee—who was a freelancer—flipping and jumping over things until they found Miss Fortune torturing another doctor.

"Stardust!" Miss Fortune turned, gaping at the heroes and her lover.

"E-Eli…!" She glared and threw he knife at Paon, "How dare you endanger him!" Mouse ran at her and tackled her.

"I'm doing this of my own will." He said, "You're my Princess, and I would rather die than see you used for evil."

"Eli, they hurt you! And if I fail, you will die!" She squirmed out of his grip and summoned her silver dagger, throwing it at King Bee. The blade's speed broke the speed of sound and sliced him across the calf and got Paon in the arm. She cleaned the blade, "The heroes are dooming you to die, my love." She said, "So just stay here while I find my hermanita and grab the Miraculous." Then she jumped away.

Mouse sprinted over to the heroes, "Hey, are you okay?"

"Yeah…" They both nodded, and Paon winced at the slice on her arm that would require stitches, "Renegade, Mouse, it's up to you guys now."

"No." King Bee stood up, "I'm not leaving this to children." He gasped in pain as his leg flared up, then limped a little. Paon shrugged,

"Might as well get this over with."

…

Miss Fortune danced across the rooftops until she landed back at her flat, where she saw Kitty Noir wheezing on the couch. She looked like death itself, pale and weak. Eden shrieked and shielded the superheroine,

"Showy, please don't do this." She pleaded, whimpering. Miss Fortune hugged her sister,

"Hermanita, once we do this, our family can be happy." Eden was crying, and Miss Fortune used her power to make her sister take a nap while she reached for the Cat Miraculous. Only…

 _"_ _Stop!"_ Miss Fortune froze.

"Mariposa?" She frowned, "You said you needed the Miraculous and were okay with me waiting until she was dead. You can get your love back, right now."

 _"_ _I'll ensure the boy survives, you've kept your end of the deal. I just…"_ she released the akuma and Miss Fortune reverted back to Zoe.

Zoe screamed at the bleeding girl on her couch, before rushing her to the hospital.

…

They made it back to the flat just as Mouse detransformed, screamed, and fell over.

"Eli?" Renegade looked him over. The wounds on his back had opened, "Eli?! Shit, we need to get him to a hospital."

To their shock, Zoe came out holding Kitty Noir—who had just rang her bell.

"Eli?!" She darted over, passing Kitty to Renegade and taking her lover, "Love, stay with me!" Eli opened his eyes,

"I'm okay, Princess. Stitches just reopened…"

"Well," King Bee shrugged, "Hospital for all."

OoOoO

Marinette didn't know what had stopped her.

That girl had been at Miss Fortune's mercy, dying of a stab wound. It wouldn't have been hard at all to snatch the Miraculous, leave the girl to die—or let Eden take her to a hospital—and get Adrien back.

But seeing that stab wound, the blonde hair and green eyes, she saw Adrien. That girl clearly had a family, someone who would miss her as much as Marinette herself and Emma missed Adrien. She couldn't let that girl die. So even though Miss Fortune had been the best akuma she would probably ever find, she had to release the girl and make sure Kitty Noir lived.

Then she got the call that her daughter was in the hospital from a stab wound after being mugged, and she forgot all about the superheroine and rushed to the hospital.

"Emilie!" She ran in and hugged her daughter, "I was so worried about you!" She felt Emma hug her back,

"Mother, I'm okay. Sore, but otherwise alright." She gestured to the numbing medication, "Might be the numbing stuff." She winced a little and rested back down on the bed, "I think I saw Dad though."

Marinette froze. If she had seen Adrien, then that meant…

"Emilie, you were dying?!"

"Well I do have a gaping hole in my gut." She said jokingly, in such a manner Adrien had when he casually mentioned having gotten Cataclysm to the ribs. Then she sighed, "Mother, it was one time. You don't have to lock me up to protect me. Those guys just caught me off guard. I'm gonna be going to the dojo with Zoe when I get off bedrest and get my stitches out."

"Zoe?" Marinette knew the existence of the girl, having just akumatized her, but Emma knew her?

"She's my classmate." Emma said, "She was actually at our house last night, working on a project with me. Turns out she's been taking care of her dangerously ill boyfriend, because the doctors couldn't help him. But somehow now the infections are gone, leaving him just recovering as his wounds heal. I myself haven't met him, but I trust him if Zoe does." Marinette smiled at how kind her daughter was,

"I would like to meet this girl properly if you're going to be spending time with her."

"Emmie!" Hugo ran in and jumped onto the bed with his big sister, "I heard you were hurt!" He held out a stuffed cat, "I got this for you with my own money!" Marinette smiled at how sweet her son was. Luka and Kagami came in,

"Hey Emma," Luka greeted, "How're you feeling?"

"Better now that my family is here." Emma replied. Marinette not up, hugging Luka,

"I'm gonna get some coffee. I'll be right back." Luka nodded and Marinette walked downstairs to the coffee shop. She ordered and sat down. A few minutes later, she heard her order and went to grab her coffee.

"Mrs. Agreste, wrong coffee."

Marinette blinked, before realizing she was trying to take someone else's coffee. The man who she was trying to steal the coffee from just laughed, "Don't worry, I get it. Coffee is the 'drink of the gods', helping us get through the day. Didn't know that someone took it the same as I do, though."

Marinette flushed in embarrassment before answering, "I've had a long day, with my daughter in the hospital."

The man shrugged, "I kinda know the feeling. Just got out myself." He gestured to the bandages along his leg, and proceeded to walk to the door, limping a little, giving her a good look at him.

He was wearing non-designer brand clothes. He wore dark blue shoes with light blue jeans, white socks sticking out. On his torso, he wore a light orange vest over a blue shirt. He had black headphones resting on his neck, which contrasted his blonde hair. His blue eyes expressed a slightly optimistic attitude as he spoke before leaving, unknowingly having the light hit him at just the right angle to give his appearance the look of a model's, "Have a great day!" Marinette dumbly nodded, taking her coffee and already making plans for contracting him as her model, when a revelation hit, causing her to groan.

She didn't know his name.

"Hey!" She chased after him, "What's your name?"

"Cole Parker. Why?"

"Are you by any chance looking for a job?"

 **A/N: Marinette hasn't completely spiraled yet. That's good. And now she's met Cole and the team knows Master Fu. Her releasing the akuma when she could have won shows she isn't completely gone yet. Will things change? Review to find out!**


	9. Chapter 8

**A/N: Credit to ghost83 for helping me with this chapter.**

 **Chapter 8**

Emma sat quietly in her hospital room, throwing a ball absently like one would in movies. She was bored, that much was obvious. Finals were coming up, so not only would she miss the big tests, none of her friends came to visit. Plagg was her only companion, but he had to be careful thanks to nurses coming in at random times.

Suddenly, she threw the ball the wrong way just as the door opened. The ball bounced hard off of the floor and headed towards the visitor, who quickly grabbed it without flinching. He looked around, and noticed Emma.

Sniffing slightly, he closed the door behind him and greeted, "Hey. Emma, right?"

Emma looked up at him. He was both familiar and unfamiliar at the same time. After a moment, she gave up on trying to place where she had seen him.

"Yeah, I'm Emma."

Cole looked back out and around, before grinning and taking a seat next to her, asking casually, "So, does your friend want something to eat?"

Emma flailed in surprise, grunting in pain as she pulled on her stitches.

"Wha—I mean—huh—who—tutturu!"

Cole chuckled before handing her a Chat Noir beanie, adding as he went through his bag, "By the way, found this for you. Came from a thrift shop, but it's clean."

"Who are you?" She eventually got out, looking down at her pajamas and seeing a little blood seeping through her shirt from the flailing. She took the beanie gratefully, "How do you know who I am?"

Cole chuckled, getting out some cheese sticks along with a small jar of honey, "To answer your first question, I'm Cole Parker. Your mom just hired me as a model. As for your second question... Well, let's say the magic filter doesn't work on me that well... Cat Kid."

"King Bee?" She gaped for a moment, "So Mother really did offer you that job." She froze, "She doesn't know about me, right? She would take away the ring the moment she found out!"

Cole rolled his eyes, "I'm pretty sure that unless you transform in front of her, she wouldn't make the connection. Besides, I'm more surprised that this 'Marry-poser' didn't find this as a coincidence."

"Find what a coincidence?"

"Kitty and you are both blonde with green eyes," he started listing, "both have the same height and build, both were stabbed in the same area in roughly the same time period. Unless you can out 'common sense' magic, well, this is just pushing obliviousness." He opened a cheese stick along with the honey jar, before setting them out of sight for the kwamis, "Pollen and... 'Plague', right? The coast is clear."

Plagg emerged for food, "It's Plagg. Pleasure. Finally, two superheroes who know their identities from the get-go. What else have you learned about the Agreste family tree?" Emma looked to Plagg in horror,

"Plagg! Why are you asking him about my family?!"

Cole snorted, "Aside from the fact that Gabriel killed your old user, and that Marinette was Ladybug? Nothing much since I only wanted to sell the Bee Miraculous after stealing it." He rolled his eyes, before addressing Emma, "Kid... I looked at pictures of your parents when they were still teens, and with the news, I just want to know one thing. Think you can answer it?"

"Probably." She said, "Mother tells me the bare minimum about Dad, so I can try."

"How many copyright lawsuits was Gabriel charged with?" He asked seriously, catching all of them off guard.

Emma burst out laughing, "W-What!? That's what you're asking me?! I thought you were gonna ask if Dad was Chat Noir!"

Cole made a nonchalant hand gesture, "I already knew that. But looking over the akumas Gabriel made, I'm wondering how many copyright lawsuits were made."

Emma started counting on her fingers, "Hm...one...ten...Bubbler belongs in Happy Meals…thirty seven...eighty six..." She eventually gave up, "Just assume a lot."

Cole sighed, "Good grief... Look: I'm a former hero from London, okay? I wanted to get away from the crazy. However, I'm now thrust into a new crazy. I want no more insanity, where kids are trying to pull a Peter Parker while there's a villainess trying to get some mystical jewels that give her the possibility of pulling an _Avengers: Infinity War_ and making some people not feel so good."

Emma laughed, "Well, I'm gonna be doing the Peter Parker—ignore the dying thing, though that badass return in _Endgame_ sounds cool—but I won't be stupid and give up the ring. Besides, the Ladybug isn't even active, so unless Mariposa knows who mother is and the location of the earrings—I actually have no idea where she keeps them—then she's already kinda screwed."

Cole shook his head, both of them idly noting that Plagg hid under Emma's pillow and Pollen hid in Cole's jacket as Marinette entered the room, "I'm more of a _Star Wars: Rogue One_ person, preferring to set up a Deus Ex Machina."

Marinette smiled, "What are you two talking about?"

Cole shrugged, "Well, it started with the current Miraculous heroes being kids that are going to be killed, but then it went to your daughter wanting to pull a 'Peter Parker' from _Endgame_ despite how he ended up in _Infinity War_. I prefer to be the one that sets up a Deus Ex Machina for later."

Marinette looked to Emma, "Emma...are you mentally sound?"

"I got stabbed in the gut." Emma replied, looking to the dried blood staining her pajama shirt from the previous flailing, "How 'okay' do you think I am?"

"We're in a city that had her grandpa use butterflies to turn people into super villains," Cole pointed out, "and the only ones that were against this were some teens that barely hit puberty while using super charged magical jewels. Said jewels somehow are like the Sailor Moon Disguise Pen by 'magic-ing' up spandex, aside from that one blonde boy in tight leather, with said kids having a giant responsibility aside from puberty, feeling, school, and identity issues. Now, we have three different kids doing the same, another butterfly villain actually giving people phobias of butterflies and moths because of her actions, and a black and yellow adult that seems like the only responsible babysitter of the mentioned three heroes. With all due respect, boss, define 'normal' and what the 'insane' find mentally sound."

"I suppose you're right." Marinette said, "And Mariposa is starting more dangerous right from the get go. I for one hope it's Lila so I can punch her."

Cole rolled his eyes, "I'd rather rename Lila 'Shingi' so that, next time there's a giant mechanical Akuma, I can yell at her to 'get in the robot'. On a side note, Boss? Did Gabriel, after being exposed, deal with copyright issues?"

Marinette shuddered, "So many…"

Cole blinked, "As a former civilian from London... the _Kaiju_ fans there, along with the _King Kong_ ones, ended up both uniting due to the giant Gorilla one that was dubbed Gorizilla by the media."

Marinette giggled, "That one was both nightmare fuel and the cause of many crack videos."

Cole sighed, "At least Gabriel didn't do the more dangerous ideas. I mean, don't get me wrong, I'm happy he's locked up. But all of his villains were mostly all 'misses' due to how they are."

"Cole," Emma said, "Gabriel died a month after being sent to prison."

Cole blinked, "From the hate, or from suicide?"

"After Adrien died," Marinette sighed, "He just kind of gave up on life. It wasn't suicide, but it wasn't the hate either. I think once Ladybug locked him up, he went catatonic. He didn't speak once during the trial."

Cole sighed, "Well, regardless... I'm surprised that Mariposa isn't looking at things 'economically' in terms of what akumas can do."

"Economically?" Emma frowned, "I mean, things go back to normal after Ladybug or Kitty Noir reverses things. Do you mean the annoyance of Mr. Pigeon?" Marinette actually chuckled at that.

"No. But I'm referring to that Scarlet Hawk Moth move involving Volpina. Think about it. He actually played it smart by using a massive wave of negative emotions caused by an illusion, made a different akuma, and use the new akuma to jack up his own powers to make an akuma army. To me, putting aside morals, that's a smart move."

"It was." Marinette nodded, looking towards the window and nobody noticed the smirk on her face, "I think the heroes would have lost had they not seen through Volpina's Hawk Moth illusion. Though he should have taken that into account, at least he had Mayura, otherwise the heroes would have captured that son of a bitch much sooner."

Cole frowned, "I actually highly doubt that. From what I recall, the shock and negative emotions of his reveal to Adrien of the time could've actually sent him into a negative spiral. He could've akumatized a hero, or even Adrien himself, to free him. Regardless, if Mariposa is trying to out-do Hawkmoth, I already have some ideas in mind as to what she could possibly do. And unless she uses them instantly afterwards, then she listened in on this conversation and actually narrows down the suspect list as to who she could be."

And like that, Cole unknowingly had Marinette trapped.

"The main question is Mariposa's goal." Emma stated, "Mother, you and Dad used to help the heroes, maybe the three of us could help the new heroes. If we find out her goal, as in what she wants to do with the wish, then maybe we can figure it out."

Cole instantly spoke, "I'll pass. I still have to work out my new budget, where I'm going to live, and what to buy for dinner. And I'm pretty sure that despite your mom trying to spend time with you, she still needs to get back to work on managing Miraculous... You know, think back on Gabriel's reign as Hawk Moth, and how stupid humans can get with jumping to conclusions, I'm surprised he wasn't labeled as a stalker. Or worse..."

"What could possibly be worse than a stalker?" Emma asked, and Marinette patted her head,

"Oh Emilie, sweet innocent Emilie, I love you." She kissed her daughter's head, "But Cole's right, I got to go."

Cole complained as he went with her, "Before he was exposed, Hawk Moth was a guy in a mask and suit, trying to get the 'Miraculous' of children in form-fitting suits. Boss, you literally can't get more 'worse than a stalker' than that—"

Emma turned to Plagg, "What does he mean?" Plagg chuckled nervously,

"When you're older. Actually, ask Eli, he could tell you. Wait, no, don't do that—what am I thinking?!"

Emma just laughed. She'd ask Zoe later.

OoOoO

Caitlin was restless.

A week's worth of patrols, Kitty Noir wasn't there. Emma was in the hospital from a mugging. King Bee was busier than normal. So overall things were shit.

Zoe had been much happier than usual, and their class had been shocked to hear she had a betrothed, and they were all eager to meet Eli when he recovered—and Caitlin was happy to hear that while he would need a walker for a while and physical therapy, he was going to get out of the hospital in three weeks.

She and Peter were walking home after school and she subtly got closer to him. It was pouring rain. Caitlin felt herself blushing. She'd had a crush on Peter for years, but was too nervous to say anything. She didn't have any idea towards his feelings. Sure, she was one of the most beautiful girls in school, but three years of a crush had turned into love, not just attraction. She hadn't planned on confessing, but seeing how hard Zoe and Eli fought to stay together gave her hope that true love was a thing.

"Peter…" she smiled, "Do you want to stay tonight? There's a storm, and I know your parents aren't home. I can ask Butler Jean to grab Amethyst." Peter looked up, shocked.

"You'd share your space with me and my sister?" She nodded,

"Peter, you and Emma have been my best friends since birth, we're like family." Peter nodded gratefully, and Caitlin helped him upstairs, supporting him when he had a dizzy spell—which he had been getting constantly since falling down the stairs.

Helping him onto her bed, she went and got her hair dryer to help dry him off from the rain water.

There was a knock on the door and Amethyst came bouncing in, but froze when she saw her brother falling asleep.

"Peter!" She looked to Caitlin worriedly, which confused the older girl, "Has he had a dizzy spell in the last hour?"

"Yeah…isn't it vertigo?"

"No." Amethyst held Peter's hand, "Are you okay, Peter, do I need to call Mom and Dad? You need to see a doctor."

"I'm okay, Gem." He assured, sitting up, "I don't need to go to the doctor."

"Huh?" Caitlin sat down, her stomach knotting up, "Am I missing something?" Amethyst turned,

"Every since he—" she hesitated, "Fell down the stairs, he's been getting weaker and becoming more tired." Caitlin realized she'd noticed that, but hadn't focused in on it. Peter massaged his temples,

"Gem, I just need a nap, and I'll be okay." Amethyst curled up against him,

"You're not like a normal big brother anymore." She said, sending a pleading look to Caitlin, "You don't argue, you don't say no, you just do your homework and sleep."

Butler Jean came up a moment later with some grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup. Peter drank his soup, then looked to where Caitlin was changing into pajamas and noticed the heavy amount of gauze she had been hiding on her arm.

"Caiti? What happened?" Caitlin looked at her arm. She hadn't gone to the hospital for it. She just used her sewing stuff and stitched it up herself. Google had instructions for everything. It itched like nobody's business, but it was either this or have her secret identity revealed.

"I tripped a few weeks ago." He got up,

"Let me see." Caitlin didn't every have time to flinch because she turned and immediately saw him collapsed on the ground.

"PETER?!"

…

That night, Marinette's brooch lit up with at least five very strong negative emotions.

 **A/N: So that happened. I'm totally shameless.**


	10. Chapter 9

**A/N: *emerges from hole* Um...hi. Writer's block is a bitch?**

 **Where was I? Oh right, I possibly killed Peter** **Lahiffe.**

 **Chapter 9**

Caitlin was pacing the hospital waiting room, waiting for Peter's verdict. All the worst outcomes ran through her head. What if he was dead? Cancer? What had been going on?!

The doctor came out, and both Caitlin and the Lahiffe family shot up.

"I'm sorry." The doctor said, bringing them back, "Your son has had a cerebral hemorrhage. Looks like there was already brain damage, and it increased until he collapsed. We performed surgery, but we aren't sure if he'll last the night."

When they arrived, Peter was hooked up to all the machines, many of them attached to his head. Amethyst shrieked, falling to her knees and holding her brother's hand.

"I-Is there anything we can do for him?" Nino asked, sitting beside his children, pleading for a miracle.

"We're doing what we can." The doctor said, and Amethyst ran out of the room.

Caitlin frowned, before brightening. Kitty Noir and King Bee! The latter especially might know what was going on or a way to save Peter.

"I'll be right back!" She ran out of the room, and Duusu emerged,

"So you plan to talk to King Bee?" Caitlin nodded,

"I just hope he picks up or is transformed. Duusu, spread my feathers!" She transformed and ran to find her elder teammate, unaware of what was going on just down the hall.

...

Amethyst was praying in the hospital's church. She wasn't religious, but as many said: "You have everything to gain if you're right, and nothing to lose if you're wrong."

So here she was, praying to whoever would listen for her brother to live, and for Mariposa to be brought down. Peter had only started getting the headaches after almost being akumatized. So it had to be Mariposa's fault! But she mostly just wanted her brother to get better.

She didn't notice the Akuma enter her locket until it was too late.

 _"I hear you, little girl,"_ Mariposa said smoothly, nothing like the crazy bitch Amethyst would have expected, _"Miliant, I'm giving you the power to create an army to destroy the one who has harmed your family. In return, you will bring me Kitty Noir's Miraculous."_

Amethyst smirked, "Sure. I'll gladly kill you."

 _"Wait, what."_ But it was too late as Amethyst turned into Miliant, which gave her armor like an ant almost. Immediately, she put on her helmet and cloned herself over fifty times. She felt Mariposa try to call back the Akuma but got refused.

In Miliant's mind, this was a win-win. The heroes would learn about Peter and be able to help him, and that way, she could take down Mariposa. Or they defeated her, and Amethyst could tell them about Peter.

So for now, she would use her hive-mind clones for hunting down Mariposa.

...

Paon ran through Paris, desperately trying to find King Bee or Kitty Noir or literally anyone.

She had never been so relieved to see an Akuma attack, which got Kitty and King Bee there in minutes. No Renegade though, and that worried her.

"King!" She called, "I really need your help!" She looked down at the many many clones, "The victim is Amethyst Lahiffe. Her brother, Peter, is dying from a cerebral hemorrhage." She noticed the terrified look on Kitty Noir's face and was confused about why the superhero would care. Well, Peter was a really nice boy, loved by all who met him.

King Bee nodded, "I'll see what I can do. Cat Kid, can you handle this?"

"Yeah. It looks like we can handle this the same way Mom and Dad handled the Sapotis." She ran off, and Paon followed King Bee as she saw the cat heroine start grabbing supplies for some convoluted plan.

When she got back to the hospital, she waited outside the door to listen in.

...

King Bee looked at Peter and cursed, "You've got to be kidding me...! He's going through _that_?!"

This caught the attention of both parents, who noticed his grim, furious, and yet worried expression on his face as he asked Alya, "Can I take a closer look? I think this isn't just a standard hemorrhage..."

Alya nodded, "C-Could you help him?"

King Bee looked Peter over, sighing, and explained, "Well, your son didn't just have a headache, and this isn't a hemorrhage. He's doing something that I hoped wouldn't happen again. The best way I can explain it is that his mind—no, his very being—is experiencing two separate realities. He's both alive and dead. Obviously, we see him as alive, but for some reason, he should also be dead. This is where it gets tricky. Say you had a perfect coin that has an equal chance of landing on both sides and not on its edge: his very life is now that coin. Since he's both alive and dead, he can't be both at the same time. Mariposa... she did something really, _really_ , cruel."

"How did she do it?" Nino asked, "Peter's gonna be okay, right?" He looked to his unconscious child, "He's been weaker ever since he almost got akumatized. We assumed it was because of... other things."

King Bee sighed, this time looking at Peter, "Right now, he's alive. However, he's alive only because he cheated death, or maybe the council is arguing over him. He's in limbo, and he's fighting to figure out if he's alive or dead. The scariest thing is that the afterlife is always what you want in a realistic sense. To get him out of this... we need to make him remember that he's alive. The problem with that is his expectations. Did he expect to die, or did he expect to live? That single question... answering it determines his state of being."

"Well..." Alya started pacing, "He hadn't been to the doctor, so he didn't know what was going on. And he kept insisting he was fine, so I would assume he expected to live."

King Bee shook his head, "It doesn't work like that. The way this works is that, from my experience, you get put into realistic situations with high fatality rates and low survival chances. Each situation gets worse than the last and gives you no chance of rest between 'accidents.' Look, I'm going to try and defeat Miliant. Sorry about not being able to do anything else, but it's all I can do."

Nino's lip quivered, torn between his daughter or son being saved. "Please...let the other heroes handle Amethyst. She wants Peter saved just as much as us. And how does this explain the very real, nonmagical, internal bleeding found by the scans?"

"The mind is a powerful thing," King Bee explained, "especially when magic is mixed in. If the mind jumped to conclusions and clings to that conclusion strongly enough... it happens. I guess that he thought he had a hemorrhage, or his headaches were leading to something worse, causing the magic to make him have internal bleeding. It made illusion reality, and reality into illusion."

"I am taking psychology classes." Caitlin said, having detransformed and now coming in, "And it says it isn't uncommon for humans to fear the worst from things like that. So it is entirely possible he was worried about the headache being something worse."

"So what?" Nino snapped, "So we get a second surgery for him and then have only a 40% chance of him waking up?"

King Bee growled before explaining, "Listen. Unless you want me to go into freaking limbo, find out who I am, _and_ defeat Miliant? The chance drops to 10%. If we do all three, then the chance of survival becomes 100%, with the cost of therapy and some irregular late-night visits by me. The question now is this: Do you want to take up the Bee Miraculous right now for this battle while I go into limbo? Miliant needs to be taken care of before I do this."

"Of course we want our son saved!" Both parents said in synch, then Alya asked a question, "But why would defeating Amethyst save him?"

"It more prevents her from meeting the same fate. It seemed Mariposa is much stronger and eviler than Hawk Moth, and rejecting the Akuma could kill you." He detransformed.

"Huh?" Caitlin frowned, "Aren't you the guy working for Marinette now? The one who's been visiting Emma."

Cole nodded and introduced himself, "Cole Parker. I'll try to get some free time in my schedule to answer any questions you people may have. Right now..." He handed the Bee Miraculous to the couple, "I believe you two have a daughter with a need to her senses back."

Alya looked down at the Bee, "You're giving this to us?"

Cole nodded, "I'll want it back by tomorrow at the very least." He rubbed his wristband, adding, "Now go, I'll do my best to save your son."

Alya and Nino looked to each other, before smirking, "Caitlin, call your mother. Nino, go to Fu." Alya took the Fox Miraculous from around Peter's neck, which Caitlin's eyes widened upon seeing, "I think it's time we all fight for old time's sake."

Cole smiled sadly as he looked at his wristband, "Good luck on that. I'm going to talk with an old friend before doing my thing..."

…

Caitlin ran home to her mother, transforming along the way, "Chloe!" Chloe turned,

"Paon, what—?" She gasped at the sight of the Bee Miraculous.

"Queen Bee, we need your help. Rena Rouge and Carapace are already on the job." Chloe took the hair comb gratefully,

"Thanks, Caiti. Pollen! Buzz on!"

…

Cole looked at the battle being waged, before sighing and muttering, "Old time's sake... Symph? I know we haven't talked much ever since the incident, but... ready for one last song?" A Kwami slowly manifested from the band, being white with black stripes, resembling a music sheet. The Kwami blinked before looking at Peter, and answering nostalgically with a smile, "Always ready to compose a new movement."

Cole smiled, reaching out before intoning, "Symph... First Movement." A flash of white occurred as the security camera slowly shifted to the outside.

...

Mariposa was panicking. How had she not noticed Miliant wanted her dead!? Maybe because Peter getting better was the main thing on her mind, and revenge was the subconscious, but Mariposa chose the more violent option?

But that begged the question of how it was her fault. As Mariposa, she had never gone near Peter. Unless he got caught in the crossfire of an Akuma.

Now, she thought she was safe in her lair —until a couple dozen Miliant clones came in and grabbed her. Shit. Maybe she needed a different hideout since everyone knew about the old Hawk Moth lair. Fortunately, she saw Adrien was still peaceful in his coffin.

She managed to kill multiple of the clones, but still found herself overwhelmed by the sheer numbers. Mariposa was brought to her knees in front of the original. Now, she could grab the locket, but that would lead to the Akuma multiplying, which was not good.

"You hurt my family!" Miliant roared, brandishing knife-like hands on her armor, "And for that, you will die!"

"Do it, I dare you." Mariposa snapped, still being held down. This way meant she could see Adrien again. Emma could take care of herself, and Hugo had Luka.

She could only assume Miliant smirked since her helmet made checking for expression impossible. The young girl raised her knife-hand.

"With pleasure." She went to bring it down and remove the villain's head, but Mariposa was shocked to have Paon take the blow directly to her Miraculous.

"Paon!" Rena Rouge and Carapace appeared, followed by Queen Bee and Kitty Noir. For a moment, Mariposa flashed back to the good old days, and let a couple tears fall. But then she wiped them away. They'd get that time again when she saved Adrien. How dare that little girl pretend to be Chat Noir? She didn't deserve Adrien's Miraculous!

For a second, with the other heroes trying to figure out which Miliant was the original, and the rapidly increasing number of them, Kitty Noir and Mariposa looked at each other. Truly looked at each other.

Kitty narrowed her eyes at the brooch, "You're not about to change back?" A conversation so she could attack a distracted target. Such an Adrien move, so maybe that was why she was chosen. But Mariposa decided to answer the question because she was far more experienced than this baby was, and it was one-on-one, which ensured her victory.

"Adults get no time limit. Something about not wanting to give an emotionally unstable teenager limitless power."

"Lucky." Kitty Noir flipped over her, but Mariposa grabbed the girl's hair and pinned her to the ground, only to have her legs swept out from under her. The cat heroine smirked, "If the power is limited for the emotionally unstable, you shouldn't have limitless."

Mariposa shrugged, getting up by kicking Kitty Noir in the girl area.

"OW! Low blow!" Mariposa pulled the saber out of her cane,

"I'm a villain, what do you want from me?"

"For you to tell me why you're doing this!" Kitty ran at her again, diving between Mariposa's legs to get behind her. This kid was a formidable opponent, but nothing that couldn't be handled. Mariposa cartwheeled to the side, dodging the young girl.

"Have you ever lost someone who meant the world to you? Who left broken pieces behind them that you can't pick up no matter how hard you try until eventually, you just give up." To her surprise, Kitty Noir nodded,

"Yeah. I know that feeling. But that doesn't mean I should terrorize a city to get that person back!"

Mariposa sighed, "When I was your age, I thought the same thing." She then noticed Queen Bee about to try using Venom of her. She jumped up just as Venom was activated, which led to Queen Bee stabbing Kitty Noir with the trompo and giving her what would be a black eye.

This was her chance! Kitty Noir was completely frozen!

Mariposa ran at the fallen heroine but noticed Carapace trying to throw a shield the same way he had during the Heroes' Day all those years ago. She ducked, but the found herself quickly surrounded.

Paon pulled out her fan and plucked a feather from it, sending it to Kitty Noir.

To Mariposa's horror, Chat Noir was the sentimonster. He ran at her, and she tried desperately to push Chat Blanc out of her head.

During that time, Rena Rouge managed to use illusions to clone herself, but also an illusion that made Mariposa feel like she was drowning. Oh right, illusions were more dangerous with an adult wielder, since they could manipulate all the senses instead of just sight.

Kitty Noir broke free of the Venom and threw her hands out at the Miliant clones,

"BLACK STORM!"

It was as though Cataclysm was an entire blast, wiping out every single clone. Kitty Noir fell to her knees at the drain, but it gave Carapace the chance to grab the locket off Miliant's neck and break it.

"Cataclysm..." Kitty grabbed the Akuma, turning it to dust in her hand.

Mariposa took that brief moment to escape back to her now-repaired lair.

Then the realization of how she was to blame for Peter's condition really came crashing down on her.

OoOoO

"Pound it!" All the heroes fist-bumped, keeping the little tradition of the old heroes. Rena and Queen Bee gave their Miraculouses to Paon, and Carapace ran off to return his.

They all met back up at the hospital, running into Emma in the process, and she had one hell of a black eye.

The family rushed back into Peter's hospital room, and Caitlin explained to Emma that Cole might know how to help, only to see a very much awake if not shaken Peter and a patient Cole sitting by his side. Cole waved as Peter noticed them,

"He's fixed. Had to strike a deal with the council, though. But it's nothing that's going to happen soon."

"Peter!" The entire Lahiffe family ran to him, crying their eyes out. Chloe smiled, holding Caitlin close.

Alya turned to Cole with teary eyes, subtly giving him back the Bee, "Thank you. Just...thank you."

Cole nodded, before noticing Chloe, and smiling while nodding in acknowledgment, "Queen Bee."

Chloe nodded back, "King Bee." Then her eyes widened, "Oh crap! Marinette doesn't know about this, does she?!"

Cole scoffed, "Please... if anything else, she's oblivious even with the photos side by side. Heck, I've literally been in front of her while she was looking at a King Bee picture, and she didn't make the connection. On a side note... I think magic makes an attempt to remove logical common sense in regards to identities."

"I was referring to Peter almost dying." She said.

Cole blinked, "Um... she does, if only because I had to run out on my photoshoot due to Emma being worried about her friend. Didn't know who, however, so I'm not sure if she exactly knows about this..."

"I'll call her." Alya said, "Hope she picks up." To her surprise, Marinette's voice could be heard,

 _"Hey, Alya. What's up?"_

Cole yelled, not sure if it's on speaker, "Hey, boss! Apparently, Mariposa almost indirectly killed Peter with an Akuma. The fact that King Bee said he should be dead didn't help with it!"

And then the line fell dead.

…

On the other side of the line, Marinette had dropped her phone and her breath caught in her throat. She had been right about why Peter had almost died because of her.

Peter was Renegade.

…

Cole blinked, before sighing, telling the Lahiffe family, "I'll drop by for visits to make sure he's mentally stable. Even though he's out of the magical danger, the process is nonetheless slightly traumatizing. Being 'confirmed' after in limbo isn't an easy process to recover from, but I'll try to come by as King Bee and help, whenever possible at night."

"Thanks." Peter said quietly, leaning against his mother for support, "Can I sleep? I'm tired."

Cole nodded, grabbing his jacket and feeding Pollen some honey, "Rest up kiddo. You earned it. I better get going. I still need to check in with my boss and make sure I still have a job." He mutters as he leaves, "I swear... Mariposa has bad timing in regards to attacks..."

"Thanks again," Alya said.

OoOoO

Marinette was drinking and sobbing on the ground when Cole walked into the office.

Cole paused, before approaching her cautiously, "Boss...?"

Marinette gasped, wiping her eyes, smearing her mascara even more, and looked up at him.

"C-Cole! What are you doing here?"

Cole frowned, looking at the mess before quickly looking outside and shutting the door behind him, angrily asking her, "How many times?"

"How many what?" She asked, taking in another shaky breath.

Cole growled, "Don't avoid it. The safe is open, and your blouse has a brooch. How many times have you akumatized someone? Hell, how many times have you drank yourself under the table?"

"Wha..." Marinette looked to the safe that had, damnit, been left open just a crack. She looked to him, "How many times do you think? I'm sobbing on the floor drinking vodka out of a sippy cup."

Cole sighed and ran a hand through his hair, "If it lessens the guilt, I managed to save Peter and dragged him out of limbo. Still, have some of that liquid, left? I'll help finish the bottle and listen to your story, be your personal psychiatrist or something. You tell your secrets, I'll tell you mine, and neither of us tells Emma."

Marinette nodded, pulling out another large bottle from a secret compartment in her desk, "No telling Emma."

Cole sat down, loosening his collar a bit before demanding, "I still want normal pay, despite this. I hate favoritism, or implied favoritism."

"Wasn't gonna give you a raise, rather fire and backlist you if you say anything." She snapped.

Cole rolled his eyes, "Regardless, at least you have a retired hero to speak to. Former hero of London."

"And I'm formerly Ladybug." She replied, "Ironic, isn't it."

Cole nodded, pouring himself a glass, "And on the topic of former heroes... Alright, I give. How did he die?"

"Adrien?" She sighed, "Hawk Moth...Gabriel...we confronted him, and I fell. Gabriel went to kill me, but Chat took the blow, getting a cane to the heart. He died in my arms moments after."

"Not the saber? Just the cane?" Marinette nodded, and Cole shuddered a little at how painful that had to have been. He sighed, sloshing his drink slightly before taking a sip, "My beloved Rachel... an incident in the infamous clock tower that housed Big Ben... falling gears, and she pushed me out of the way... Had to come back just to ID the body."

Marinette turned, "You lost your partner too?"

Cole forced a laugh, "Partner? We were fiancés, and our wedding was just the day after she died!"

She gasped, "I'm so sorry for you." Her head bowed, "Adrien and I were married for five years before..."

"Life's a bitch, am I right?" He said, scoffing a little.

"Yeah...life..." she raised her sippy cup, "At least you can understand why I'm trying to get Adrien back."

"Entirely. I did all sorts of crazy things to try finding my way back to her."

"Damnit." Marinette pouted. Then she continued to sob at the idea of having almost murdered the boy she had seen as her own son.

Cole took a drink before hugging her, comforting her as he asked gently, "Are you trying to change the past, or modify the present?"

"I want to change the past." She said, "But I don't care what happens, as long as he's by my side again." She stood up, "You know, Natalie was quite the help to Gabriel," she growled at the name, "Wanna help me? If we change the timeline, I can find a way to save Rachel as well."

Cole was silent before sighing, "I'll have to decline. Let me ask you something: has Timetagger already been created, yet?"

Marinette nodded, "Twelve years ago. Gabriel took a sick day, and Natalie filled the role for a day."

Cole frowned, "I'll only work with you once, but only when I take a day off to grieve for Rachel. Her funeral is in eight months, and there will be plenty of negative emotions for trying to go and change things in the past. If I fail, at least it only means one more battle for you."

Eight months? That was when the anniversary of Adrien's death was. Marinette pushed this little intriguing detail into the back of her mind.

"If you fail, only one more battle? Why, no. If you fail, I will keep trying until I get that Miraculous and bring Adrien back, even if I have to kill the kid!"

Cole suddenly sprayed Marinette with a squirt bottle, "Dial it down. And I'm talking about it just being another battle for your past self, and history. Because the odds of time-travel theme is high."

Marinette wiped the water off her face, "Did you just... SQUIRT ME?!"

"Yep. Dial down the crazy. As for why the bottle… Rachel had her moments. Also, I still need to help you finish the bottle, remember?"

Marinette growled, bitter about having just been sprayed. That was what she did to Adrien, not what happened to her! "No. My bottle. Go check on Emilie."

Cole sighed and nodded as he got up, before asking, "As an employee, I originally came here to see if I still had a job despite running off. As someone who's slightly concerned... I just wanted to let you know that I'm becoming pretty close to Emma's, certainly closer than you are... But if you need someone to talk to, just talking about your past and stuff... Just let me know, and I'll try to make time for you. Active or not... us heroes need to look out for each other. Just... remember that, okay?"

Marinette turned away, "I'd leave if I were you before you're out of a job."

Cole sighed before quietly closing the door, "Bye, Boss..."

Nooroo huffed in the corner, "So close."

 **A/N: Black storm is a power from the PV, and that means I get to use other little details from the PV *grins evilly***


	11. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

Emma shrieked as she fell down the stairs. Ever since Miliant, she had been one hell of a klutz, tripping over things, staining her clothes. Her mother was so pissed about it, and the detention—even if it was common knowledge this school was abnormally principal's office and detention trigger happy for even the slightest mistake.

Zoe looked down at her with a furrowed brow, "Em, ya good?"

"Yeah, I just think my luck is getting even worse," she gestured to the black eye that she had gotten from the Miliant fight, not that anyone knew that. It had infuriated her mother since she couldn't model at the moment. Honestly, how had her Dad managed to get past all the injuries interfering with life?

"Doesn't that just come with the territory of being an Agreste?" Zoe asked, crossing her arms, and Emma shrugged,

"It does. How's Eli?"

"He's doing well. Already stir crazy," Zoe giggled, "And that's always a good sign."

"It is." Emma checked her phone, seeing Caitlin was taking a sick day, and Peter was in the hospital. Could her friends spend a week not getting injured? Because that would be great, "What are you going to be doing with all this free time you've got without the million jobs?"

"Probably binge-watch _Death Note_ again." Emma furrowed her brow. She had heard of that anime, but her mother had told her she wasn't allowed to watch it.

"I've never seen it." Zoe paused,

"Really? What the hell kind of teenhood do you have without watching it." Zoe grabbed Emma's hand, "Come on, to the flat we go. We have a sleepover tonight."

"But what about my mother?!"

"What about her?" Zoe asked, "She's gotta learn to loosen up, and I can lie saying we're working on a project. You've got anything you've been procrastinating?"

"The English paper."

"Excellent, I am a writer, and I got the paper done in 20 minutes. I can bullshit my way into creating one for you."

Emma paused, "Why would you do that for me? I thought you'd want time with your boyfriend."

"I need to talk to you about something." Was Zoe's reply as they started walking, and Emma stumbled over a crack, leaning against a tree for support, which led to an apple falling on Zoe's head. "Ow."

"So, what is it you wanted to talk about?" Zoe hesitated as they walked into the flat, where only Eli was home, and he was lying on the couch.

"I know you're not gonna like this, but I think your mother is Mariposa."

"What?!" Emma stared at her friend, "What makes you possibly think that?!"

"I remember being akumatized. Remember that nobody destroyed or purified my Akuma, Mariposa released it on her own. I remember her voice and her motivations, and well, _Mari_ nette and _Mari_ posa."

Emma sat down, and Eli stared at her, curiously, "What were these motivations?"

"To resurrect her dead lover, she used that to talk me into submitting," Zoe replied as though she was discussing the weather and not something which would change Emma's life forever and reawaken PTSD of her grandfather's betrayal. "And her voice matches my memory and interviews."

"No. No way, Mother would never do that." She nodded to herself, "This is just a coincidence. Maybe Aunt Amelie is trying something again to get those rings, but it's not Mother." she looked down at the ring her mother had given her, which she had on the same finger as her Miraculous. Apparently, it was supposed to be a protection ring, not that it was doing its job.

"Hey, suit yourself," Zoe shrugged, "I'm just telling you what I noticed and that I am gonna be conducting an investigation to see if it's true, and I need you to tell me if your mother starts acting suspiciously."

"Go ahead and investigate, you aren't gonna find anything." But the seed of doubt had been planted, even with someone suggesting the thing she had suspected deep down. As long as nobody pointed it out, everything was okay, but now that somebody had...

 _Could Mother have had access to the Butterfly Miraculous all this time and lied about it? Could she really be so delusional and hypocritical as to be even worse than Hawk Moth so she could get her way and bring Dad back?_

Those thoughts plagued her mind, and though she could continue to deny Zoe's accusations, she had to talk to Cole about this and ask him to keep an eye on her mother.

"Well, it is just a theory after all," Zoe brought over some popcorn, "So, anime, let's watch."

Emma found herself slightly disturbed by how casual Zoe was about accusing people and then transitioning to anime. Still, she decided to roll with it, forcing herself to focus on the show instead of the idea her mother was the monster that was Mariposa.

But what if that was why she had released Miss Fortune moments before winning?

OoOoO

The next night, Kitty Noir talked to the superhero team about Zoe's theory. While none of them wanted to believe another Agreste was evil, this was, unfortunately, the general consensus that she was at least a suspect. King Bee said he'd look into it, and Kitty sighed, leaning on the railing of the Eiffel Tower. Renegade and Paon leaned there with her, and King Bee sent them all a somber look before running off into the night,

"What's bothering you?" Renegade asked, and Kitty ran a hand through her long golden locks,

"I'm just thinking about what will happen to Emma Agreste if this is true." Paon winced,

"Poor thing. But honestly, I don't care what anyone says about if Mariposa's motivations are to resurrect a loved one. We saw ten years ago how that went last time, and does this much more violent villain think it's going to end differently?" All three of them winced, not wanting to think about dying as young as they were.

"Well, we know how far Mariposa is willing to go," Renegade said after a moment, "The previous heroes hadn't known Gabriel would kill his own son to get what he wanted. But we know that Mariposa is ruthless and deranged."

"What do you think would happen if Emma asked her?" Kitty Noir asked timidly, thinking of the possibilities, ranging from a simple no to ending very badly. If this was true, where would she go? And what about Hugo?

She shook herself. Surely she was just paranoid. Her mother was Ladybug. She would never stoop so low.

"Probably denying it," Paon replied, "Or maybe that whole 'join me' spiel. But come on, do any of us think Emma would do it?"

"No." Kitty replied, yawning, "I'm gonna head home, you guys should do the same."

"Yeah, night guys," Renegade ran off, and the others did too.

As soon as Paon got home, she detransformed, coughing, and swearing under her breathe as her Miraculous started glitching.

"Oh no," Duusu started crying, and Caitlin huffed.

"Damn Mariposa," she seethed because this was a huge pain. She had tried to find Fu yesterday, but he wasn't there. Well, sleep sounded nice. And she found taking the hairclip off made the illness more tolerable. She drank some cold medicine before crawling into bed, drifting to sleep, and hoping to feel better when she woke up.

OoOoO

"Hey, Boss!" Cole walked into Marinette's office, where her back was to him, "Remember that Miss Fortune chick? Apparently, she remembers everything about being akumatized, and according to Kitty Noir, she has created the theory about you being Mariposa, and the hero kids actually buy into it."

He paused, hearing Marinette was laughing, a dark and demented sound which had no place coming out of her mouth, "No matter," she said maliciously, turning around and revealing a letter, and the Miraculous Miracle Box. "That old man finally died, and once again, he entrusted me with the Miracle Box. It's so nice to have this back, now that I actually need it."

Cole's eyes widened, "What are you going to do?"

"I'm going to get the Black Cat Miraculous. I'm not letting some PTSD stop me from doing what is needed this time. When time is changed, nobody will even know, so everything will be okay." She walked over to him, much calmer than she should be, "So, Cole, as your boss, I have a job for you. Win Kitty Noir's trust and affection, and when the moment is right in eight months, I will akumatize you as per our agreement, and you will take her Miraculous. Of course," she chuckled, "That might not even be needed, now that I have all this power. I can use all of these at once and kill the cat girl myself."

Cole glared, "You're getting insane again. I remember telling you that nobody is going to get hurt as long as I keep quiet about your identity." Marinette turned,

"But it doesn't matter once I turn back time. And who knows, maybe you'll get your beloved Rachel back too."

That made Cole hesitate, and Marinette thought he was listening and willing to work with her. But in actuality, he was thinking of the most masochistic plan there was, but it might be enough to save this family from themselves.

But no, that wasn't needed quite yet. "Marinette, you need to lay low. If the heroes and the Fortune Chick suspect you, something tells me the theory is going to get popular pretty quickly, and soon your home will be searched, and since Gabriel was exposed last time, it's likely someone will find Adrien's body. You need to make Emma trust you, or what if she goes investigating?"

"She won't. And even if she does, I'm sure I can bribe her with a Miraculous, or show her why I'm doing this."

"Did that work for Gabriel?" Cole snapped, "He tried to win Adrien over, and how well did that go?! From what you've told me, Emma is a lot like her father, so what makes you think you will be able to convince her of basically the same thing."

"It will work because I will make it work!" Marinette roared, "I stalked Adrien until he loved me, and I can make Emma agree with me too!"

"Holy shit," Cole took a step back, realizing that maybe it was good Adrien was gone because this was just getting creepy now. "You know, I'm going to go..."

"Fine. I'll see you tomorrow, Cole." Cole shuddered, backing away,

"Good night... Boss." He left quickly, and Pollen emerged,

"Whew, that was creepy." She said, and Cole nodded,

"Yeah." He looked up at Emma's window before making a choice. He transformed and jumped in there, surprised to see the girl talking to her kwami. Plagg sat on her shoulder as she was talking, and he listened in,

"So, I cursed in exchange for these new powers?" Plagg nodded,

"Yes. I didn't mean to let you use those abilities, but with Mariposa, it proved necessary." Emma shrugged,

"I know, but it's just a day in the Agreste household." She turned, "Oh, hey Cole. What is it?"

"Pack a bag, you're staying at my place tonight. Your mom's drinking again." Emma cringed, hastily packing a bag and transforming,

"How are we going to explain this to Mother?"

"Don't worry," he assured, "I'll cover for you."


End file.
